Harry's Story
by Natasha Vloyski
Summary: Harry is on his own, ready to hunt down Snape and Voldemort and destroy them. This story is complete.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One Dumbledore's Portrait

The wind blew down the street churning up papers and leaves and other debris. It swirled with a life of its own, sometimes gently and sometimes with gusts that spun up into tornadic spirals that came and went quickly. Harry walked the dark, grungy street with his wand in his hand, hidden under his robe.

The street was deserted or at least appeared to be deserted. Residents of Knockturn Alley were not making an appearance although there were surreptitious movements from dusty, dark windows, not all of them spiders spinning their webs. The Daily Prophet had been unclear about the details surrounding Dumbledore's death but the news of his death had spread quickly. No one wanted a finger pointed in their direction; from anyone including the Ministry of Magic. No one wanted to see the insides of Azkaban. It was generally known that Harry Potter had been present and unlike previous incidents, the Prophet had no news about him. He wanted to keep it that way.

Harry knew who the monster was that he stalked even if the Daily Prophet would not print his name..

He left his "family" without a backward glance. He didn't care about the Dursleys; his heart was a block of wood in his chest when it came to them. They hadn't treated him any better this time then all of the other homecomings.

In fact, Dumbledore had told them at the beginning of last term that Harry was rich and now Harry often caught his Uncle glancing at him, greediness lighting up his eyes. Harry knew it was only a short time before he would approach him about his inheritance.

To avoid this Harry spent the required time in his room on the second floor of his aunt and uncle's house and packed his few belongings into small cases and labeled each. Some would go to one place and some to another. He was preparing for battle and he wasn't sure that the things he placed into boxes would ever be unwrapped again.

The last thing that he packed was his Hogwarts trunk. He stared at the contents before shutting the lid. He let his eyes wander over each item. They brought back memories; some cruel and some pleasant. There were the mismatched socks that Dobby had given him for Christmas, a daily planner from Hermione that he had never used and other miscellaneous gifts and items. He gloomily stared at them and then shut the lid. The tag on the outside of the trunk was addressed to Godric's Hollow; the address was his parents old home, a place he had never seen. He hoped it would end up at their old home but thought it would more than likely find a dusty corner at some post office, a repository for owl droppings.

Then after all of his preparations, he stepped out the front door, his broom in his hand and his wand in his pocket and he left. He let the planets and stars guide him and was pleased with himself. He felt he had at least learned something during his term at Hogwarts.

He was sure that he remained protected by the charm Dumbledore had placed on the Dursleys household- the one that was about to expire-and he could have stayed. He also knew that the minute he stepped out the door, someone was following him, perhaps several witches or wizards. That was alright with him. He wanted them to. He'd spent almost three months making his plans and he wanted them to unravel slowly.

This time he didn't stick out his wand hand and call for the Knight bus, nor did he ride his broom, use the floo network or ride a hippogriff. This time he walked. He knew that there was one area in which he was a semi-expert and that was being a muggle. He wanted to use it to his advantage. He moved quickly and with determination.

It took him most of the night to find his way to the Leaky Cauldron, make his way through the entrance into Diagon Alley, and then step into Knockturn Alley. Harry had not used magic, but along the way he had donned wizard's clothes and was now hooded; his face concealed. He'd taken many twists and turns in hopes of shaking the people that tailed him. When he stepped into the dark street hours later he was reasonably sure that he was alone.

Harry was not new to Knockturn Alley having been there once by accident and once with Ron and Hermione when they followed Draco. This time he intended to be much more discreet and hoped that his 'tail', the wizards or witches that followed him which was more than likely Tonks or someone from the Order, had lost him. He knew without question that Remus Lupin had taken over Dumbledore's place in the Order of the Phoenix and that it was he that was having him watched. Harry appreciated the gesture. He knew that his parent's old friend cared about him and wanted to protect him. But Harry also knew Remus would not understand what he needed to do, and if he did, he wouldn't allow it.

First, there were the Horcruxes. Harry had made up his mind that no one knew of them except himself, Ron and Hermione and Albus Dumbledore and perhaps the person who left the note, signed only with initials, that was left in the locket. And, he was probably long dead.

He needed to hunt the objects down that held the remaining Horcruxes and find a means to destroy them. He felt sure that Ron and Hermione would not tell anyone about them and they could back him up if it came down to it. Or if he died before destroying them all, he knew that they could pass the information on and it could become another person's quest.

He also wanted something else, something he had not been able to retrieve from Hogwarts before he left. What with dealing with Dumbledore's funeral, cutting himself off from Ginny and saying goodbye to Ron and Hermione-only he knew that it was for the last time- he had completely forgotten it. It was the Half-Blood Prince's potions book. Harry couldn't quite bring himself to call it Snape's book. He had found the Sectumsempra charm in it and wanted to see if there were other spells, enchantments and charms in the book that would prove useful. After all Snape had been involved in the Dark Arts even back then when he was a student. He had jotted his ideas and thoughts in the margins of the book and not one of the directions had failed Harry in his potions class. Harry thought that the book might be invaluable.

Along with that Harry knew that if he couldn't get the book then he needed to track Horace Slughorn to ground. When Slughorn had found out that Snape was Dumbledore's murderer he had been shocked. Snape had been a student of his, as had Harry's mother. If anyone knew about charms, potions and spells it would be Slughorn. _He knew about the Horcruxes didn't he? _Harry thought. _He had told Tom Riddle about them._

And then there was the sword, Godric Gryffindor's sword. If Dumbledore was right, it held a Horcrux. He wasn't sure how to tell the difference but he wanted to make sure it was safe.

He was on his way to Borgin and Burkes, hoping that the Vanishing cabinet Draco Malfoy used to allow Death Eaters into Hogwarts had not been destroyed. If it remained intact and the one at Hogwarts remained intact then he could journey there and fetch the book and the sword and return.

He knew how to Apparate and could have done so, arriving outside of Hogwarts boundaries and going through one of the hidden tunnels that connects the little village of Hogsmeade and the school, but he didn't want to risk detection by the Ministry. He didn't know if they could follow him or not and didn't want to chance it. He would save that for when he really needed it.

The third thing that had occupied his mind over the summer, of course, was Snape. Harry's mind usually shied away from the name or the thought of him. He'd put up with the man's abuse for years. Every time he allowed himself to think of him, he was flooded with painful, angry memories. These memories usually centered around the last ten minutes following Dumbledore's fall from the astronomy tower, Harry's chase through the castle and grounds, and his futile attempt to kill Snape. Then, finally there was the potion master's escape. Even as he walked down the dark foreboding street he felt his anger return. _How he wanted to find the man!_

However, no matter how much he hated him, Snape had given him something in the end that was priceless. It had taken getting a beating before it sank in that he must learn non-verbal spells. The spells he has cast at Snape were useless because the man knew ahead of time what he was doing.

Harry would not be caught again. He would practice until he could do a spell without thinking about it, until every breath he took was a spell. For this he had received permission from Professor McGonagall who had put in a requisition with the Ministry of Magic for Harry to practice spell-work during the summer. Her reasoning for this- the one he gave her in his letter to her- was so that he could protect himself. For who- if anyone- needed more protection?

The new Minister, Scrimgeour, agreed under several conditions all of which were spelled out in McGonagall's return letter. Harry could accept most of them, except for keeping the Ministry informed of his whereabouts at all times. This one Harry had ignored. Why should he bother when he spent every waking minute at the Dursleys. By now the Minister would know exactly where he spent his time away from school.

Still the time to practice allotted over the summer had been enough. In the privacy of his room he had practiced and practiced. Except for some of the louder spells and the more damaging ones he had not disturbed the Dursleys. It hardly bothered him anymore when his Uncle came puffing up the stairs to stand on the landing and bellow at him. He had the inheritance after all and the mans' anger was tempered by his greed. His threats rarely got beyond the shouting stage.

Harry's final mission was to kill Voldemort. This thought rarely entered his mind. He couldn't quite see himself doing that. He might have had a glimmer of hope if Dumbledore had survived. Harry could have relied on the headmaster to give him advice, reassurance, perhaps even a method. As it stood, Harry couldn't see himself even making the attempt. _How can I kill Voldemort when I can't even kill Snape, _he thought.

There were nights when he replayed Dumbledore's words in his mind when he couldn't sleep. He understood that his love of his parents and his desire for revenge was what had always fueled his actions. Lately, it was more about to rid himself of the being that seemed like an evil twin. He was tired of him; he was tired of it all. If he lived that was good, if he died- he died trying- and it would be the end of it.

He also now understood that many believed his 'connection' with the Dark Lord would be a siren of sorts, one that would inexorably draw him to the dark side where he would doom himself either by being killed or joining Voldemort. Scrimgeour had intimated such a thing and insisted that McGonagall supervise his summer practice sessions so that he could be reassured that Harry wasn't practicing the Dark Arts. She agreed and then promptly never showed up. Harry was grateful for that. He didn't quite know what he would have told his aunt and uncle if the witch had shown up on their doorstep to 'give him magical lessons'!

Harry knew that Dumbledore believed in him, believed that his 'goodness', his soul, remained pure. He wasn't sure how that could help him kill Voldemort, however he knew that he had destroyed the diary which held the Horcrux and it hadn't killed him or harmed him. On the other hand, Dumbledore had destroyed the ring and it had wrecked havoc on his hand and arm. So there was something to that.

He also hoped that the locket that had cost them so dearly and turned out to be fake might lead him to the real one. One which he hoped had also been destroyed. He still wanted the objects in his possession. It would be reassuring to have them all in one place and know that they no longer held pieces of Voldemort's soul. He would feel more secure in facing the Dark Lord then. Or at least that was what he told himself time and again throughout the summer.

Harry stood across from Borgin and Burkes and watched the street. There was some traffic in the early morning but not much. It seemed like the residents and shopkeepers on the street were more accustomed to opening their shops at later hours. He continued to wear the robe with his head covered even though the heat of the day was penetrating the gloomy niche where he stood and even the shaded corners of the street.

After an hour of standing in the shadows the traffic picked up and there were customers that began to enter the store. Harry was grateful for that. He waited until the coast was clear and substituted the wizard's robe for his invisibility cloak. He quickly crossed the street and waited until a man opened the door and then stepped in behind him, shadowing his footsteps.

The shop was as he remembered it. This time he was careful to step away from the dusty shelves and moved quickly through the curtain to the backroom. He was no longer curious about the shops contents. Among other things in the room behind the curtain, which included a private storehouse, there was a living area. It was clear that the shopkeeper actually lived on the premises. He had also kept some of the richer finds and objects to himself. Harry couldn't be sure that they weren't lethal and so touched nothing. After all, Draco had gotten the necklace that almost killed Katie Bell here in this shop.

He wandered back into the dim light of the back storeroom being careful to step along a narrow path through the dim light until he found bits of furniture. He knew the cabinet almost immediately because it sat apart from the rest and was clean and free from dust. Harry figured that the storekeeper would want to protect an object that belonged to the Dark Lord. It would not be for sale or mistaken by anyone for junk.

Harry listened as the wizard, probably Borgin, handled his customer. He didn't want the man unexpectedly stumbling in on him.. Meanwhile, he studied his surroundings, pulled the invisibility cloak off and tucked it into his satchel and then opened the door to the cabinet. It wasn't large enough to walk into or so small that he had to crawl. With a little consideration he ducked his head and entered.

He could hear Borgin speaking and then his voice faded and the inside of the cabinet became quiet and suffocating. Harry pressed his hand against the door and felt resistance. For a moment his heart sped up and he could feel sweat drip down his cheeks. And then, the door opened and he was once again in the Room of Requirement. It looked like a small avalanche of books had fallen in front of the cabinet door and was the cause of his temporary entrapment.

He hurriedly scooped them up and threw them away from the door and began to wind his way through the towering rubble until he found the path that looked most familiar. He studied the area, first looking at the bust with the wig and tiara before touching the cabinet it rested on. There didn't appear to be any changes although he had been in a hurry to hide the potions book and could have missed something.

Once again he stopped to listen, there was nothing but eerie silence. He retrieved the book slipped it into his pocket and then headed for the door. He thought the second object, the sword, might be harder to manage. Although it was still summer and the castle should be mostly empty, he knew that there were people on the grounds who lived at Hogwarts full time, Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris was one of them.

Harry stepped into the corridor and began walking slowly along the deserted hallways. He made his way to the staircase that climbed to Dumbledore's office and started up. The password to enter had not changed from the night he had left Professor Trelawney in the hallway and had gone to Dumbledore's office to confront him about Snape. Instead of doing that he had swallowed his rage and had gone with Dumbledore to the cave. And after that...well... there had been no thought of retrieving the sword. Now, Harry let the stairs carry him up to the anterior room of the office. He opened the large oak doors and walked in.

The first thing he noticed was Dumbledore's portrait. It startled him. There were still things in the magical world that could do that and this was one of them. He didn't understand the concept of the dead having a portrait that could come alive and interact with the living. Obviously, there was something about the portraits that was unlike the real person. This Harry had learned from the first day he stepped into the school. Pictures that hung around the castle were a lot like the ghosts that haunted the halls. There was no substance to them, only an echo of the living person. This Dumbledore in the painting could not help him and could not be a friend to him any longer. The very idea left Harry feeling the hollowness from the grief that remained alive inside of him. In fact, as he thought about it, the portrait of the sleeping headmaster broke into a snore abruptly shattering the silence of the room.

Harry then heard the rustling of other headmasters whose portraits lined the walls over his head. He glanced at them and then walked over to the wall where the sword hung. The light of day was just now entering the room from the high windows, casting a pale yellow light on the interior.

Harry lifted the sword from its hooks and studied it. He then looked up at one of the portraits. "Has he been awake at all?" he asked.

Phineas Nigellus Black, the great-great grandfather of Sirius Black, was sitting in his portrait smoking a pipe. "No, young man. He may stay that way for a very long time if he chooses. He's had a very hard life and he deserves a rest."

Harry stared at him. He knew what the headmaster thought of this Black. Harry had been subjected to his comments many times in the past. Phineas always thought he was presumptuous and arrogant and chastised Dumbledore for his leniency. However, this time there was a slight change in the expression in his face. The eyes were still calculating and severe, but he looked more relaxed, almost thoughtful.

Harry took a chance. "You and the others have been hanging on these walls for years, probably since Dumbledore became headmaster. You've overheard his conversations, even the one's we had about the Horcruxes."

Black nodded and puffed more quickly on his pipe.

"Professor Dumbledore trusted Severus Snape. Do you know why?" Harry asked. He was surprised at his own question. It was the first thing that popped into his mind.

"My dear boy! What is said in this room is confidential," Black barked. "I could hardly relate to you- a student- what took place between Dumbledore and a teacher."

Harry glared at the portrait. "Severus Snape killed Albus Dumbledore. I would think that you could set aside the confidentiality."

A voice spoke and the other portraits quieted immediately. This time it was a portrait behind him and over the door. There were empty spaces on each side of it and it was clear that the pictures had recently been removed. The remaining portrait in the middle was that of a woman. She was dressed in a long dress of burgundy velvet and a collar that spoke of a time many years past. Although she wore no makeup, she had a beautiful creamy complexion and luscious full lips. In her own day she would have been a beauty. "Phineas will never tell you," she said, her voice was hoarse and sounded dull; like an echo of a voice.

"Margaret! You've never spoken before!" Another portrait of a man had come to life and addressed her. Harry watched the two of them share glances. "Whatever has prompted you?" he asked breathlessly.

The woman called Margaret continued to look down on Harry. "Albus and I were to be married. I died soon after our engagement. I was poisoned by a very evil wizard. Albus remained faithful to me and never married." She glanced up and over to the portrait directly across from her. She smiled at Dumbledore and then looked back down at Harry.

"He never gave up. He hunted my murderer down and killed him. In my eyes he was a hero. He saved many lives but he could not save me and that is what haunted him."

Harry was surprised at the revelation. He knew next to nothing about Dumbledore's life and to hear this confession so soon after his death deepened his own sadness and grief. He wondered when he made his plans if walking into the dead man's office would be too hard, if it would feel like the moment of Dumbledore's actual death. And he realized that it didn't feel the same. The pain was there but duller and he was thankful for that.

The woman continued to talk and her voice became stronger. "He told me once that he always felt braver because he knew that I loved him, that he could tolerate living because he knew one day we would be together again- to the end of all time."

"And are you?" Harry whispered.

She nodded and this time she smiled. Harry was stunned by it. There was a warmth that seemed to fill the room just as the buttercup yellow sunshine was now filling it.

"Do you know the answer to my question?" he asked.

She nodded and began the story. "Severus Snape's father was a muggle. He brutalized his wife and son because they possessed magical abilities. The husband could not control her and it was his desire to do so. Eileen Snape killed herself because she was unable to tolerate her life. S died and left her teenage son alone with his cruel father. Severus learned to hate muggles and turned to the dark arts to rebuild a self-esteem that was shattered from childhood.

His only respite from his father's tyranny was Hogwarts. He could not use magic during the summer to protect himself from his father because he risked being expelled." Harry nodded with understanding How could he forget his trial before the whole Wizengamot.

"Severus tolerated his life. His mother was a brilliant witch and many of her skills were passed to her son. When he was at his most vulnerable, he found a comrade in Tom Riddle Jr. who was older then he and who shared the same kind of life in some respects as Severus had. Tom knew how to manipulate Severus, how to use his abilities. They were introduced by Horace Slughorn who's life was centered on finding talented wizards and mentoring them."

The woman's frowned and shook her head slightly. It looked like she had remained still so long the movement was almost robotic. "Severus was a young boy who had never learned social skills and had never learned how to make friends. He focused on his studies. The only person that showed any warmth towards him was my Albus."

There it was again, that beautiful smile. Harry knew that if he had lived during her life-time and had been her age that he would have fallen immediately in love with her. He found himself smiling, too, although it had been three months since he last smiled.

"But it was almost too late," she continued. "He was already studying the Dark Arts. At first he told Albus that he just wanted to be the best wizard that ever made potions, that learning the skills would make him better at concocting antidotes. Albus knew that Severus was being manipulated by Riddle, who he completely distrusted, but Albus hesitated to discourage Severus' work. All along he tried to understand and love him for himself. Such a man! Albus Dumbledore found it so easy to love those that had never been loved and he never gave up on them."

"Is that it?" Harry asked. "He trusted him because he loved him and thought Snape reciprocated?"

She shook her head and the dark waves of hair falling to her shoulders shimmered in the light. There was a pause and then she looked down on him with such care in her eyes that he felt his heart melt. "Severus fell in love. You must understand that this was a young man who had known only hardness and cruelty and he was damaged, perhaps beyond healing. He saw only weakness in his mother and could not respect her. She had killed herself leaving him alone to face the world. It is no surprise that he didn't trust females. And then he found this woman; his love was so immediate and strong that he was overwhelmed by it. It consumed him and he could think of nothing else."

"What happened?' Harry gasped. He was now leaning on Dumbledore's desk having completely forgotten where he was and that he carried a sword in his hands.

"She was muggle-born," Margaret said. "Think what that must have been like for him. He hated muggles, his father was one. Look at what it must have cost him to fall in love with one!"

Harry frowned thoughtfully as he considered the situation. "Wow. He must've really fallen for her. I know he hates muggle-born. My own mother was muggle-born and he called her a filthy mudblood."

Margaret nodded slowly and continued, "Sadly, the woman he loved did not love him in return. She was gentle with him when he expressed his love to her but his heart was broken; he was broken. The only thing that sustained him was his work and ... Albus."

"That tells me only about how Dumbledore felt about Snape," Harry said slowly and then shrugged. "That still doesn't tell me why Dumbledore trusted him." He felt no differently about the man knowing this about him. He could not bring himself to feel empathy.

"Her rejection did not stop him from loving her," Margaret said sadly.

"Yeah, I can understand that," Harry said, thinking of Ginny. He couldn't be with her out of fear for the danger it would put her in but he still cared deeply and felt he always would even if she decided to leave him.

Margaret's eyes suddenly filled with tears and she looked away from him but continued to speak, "He followed Albus one evening. He was no longer a student at Hogwarts. He was employed by Tom Riddle who had begun to call himself Lord Voldemort. His task was to learn what there was to know about Albus and what he was doing and deliver that information to his employer. It is safe to say that the relationship with Voldemort had become more then employer/employee. Severus turned to the only person who he thought valued his skills. He bound himself to Riddle like a servant to a master and he did so by taking the black mark."

"I thought he and Dumbledore...were close," Harry said, feeling confused and yet feeling a tightness in his chest. "He hired him as a teacher. Did he know that Snape was working for Riddle?"

"Albus hired him as a potion's teacher," she replied. "Not as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. That would be too dangerous. It was a way for Albus to remain in contact with him...to try and protect him... or to influence him you might say."

"But all the time he was betraying Dumbledore to Voldemort!" Harry gasped. "That's hardly grounds for trusting the man."

She continued. "Severus went to the Hogshead Inn and overheard a conversation between Sybil Trelawney and Albus," Margaret said.

"The Prophecy!" Harry said, jerking himself upright.

She nodded again. "It was only after learning that the prophecy pertained to your mother that he knew what he had done."

"My mother? What has my mother got to do with it?" Harry asked, now feeling irritated. The portrait didn't make sense. He knew all about that evening, about Snape passing the information on that would eventually lead to his parents death.

Margaret stared at him with her soft brown eyes. The tears spilled over and ran down her soft downy cheeks, dropped to the crevice between her breasts, leaving a moist trail there.

"He...he loved...my mother?" Harry gasped with sudden realization.

She nodded and dropped her eyes again to the floor. "He loved her and didn't realize that he had betrayed her. He may have hated your father but he would never have jeopardized Lily. In the end, he could not prevent her death. His grief and remorse were genuine Harry. He came to Albus in this very room and begged him to kill him or to let them take him to Azkaban. Of course Albus could not do that; he loved Severus."

She once again glanced over at the sleeping portrait. "In penance for his betrayal he made a pledge to Albus that he would change sides and work diligently to stop Voldemort even if it meant his life. He made an Unbreakable Vow that night promising to take care of the only person left behind when his true love died- that person was you. He has remained at Hogwarts ever since."

Harry was gripping the sword so tightly that his hands had grown numb. _He promised to protect me? _ He was seized by strong feelings of loathing and anger once again. _The man had made a promise. _Harry thought. _Instead of allowing someone else to torment him he had done it himself._ _How he must have hated the task he was forced to carry out.- protecting another man's son!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two The Journey Begins

Phineas Nigellus Black spoke up and shattered the silence that lasted after Margaret's words. "You know the Ministry is interrogating the portraits. Perhaps it would be wise for you to retreat into silence, Margaret."

Harry glanced up at him and then to her picture. He once again noticed the empty wall space on each side of her portrait. She glared at the other portrait and then straightened her shoulders and looked down at Harry. "Don't worry about me, Harry. No one knows that I can speak. They will learn nothing from me." She smiled that gleaming angelic smile and then turned her profile to him. The portrait seemed to freeze and become more two dimensional as it had when he entered the room. He watched for a moment but knew that she would not become active again.

He glanced once more at Albus' portrait, wishing with all of his heart that the eyes would open and the man would see him there, even if it made no difference. It wasn't to be and Harry started towards the door. There was a faint sound of voices as he approached the anteroom. He was only able to slip inside a rather ornate cupboard before the people entered the room. He stepped back and heard the sound of colliding bottles. He was in a potion's cupboard!

"Minerva," Remus Lupin was saying, "They did their best to follow him. We lost him very near the Leaky Cauldron so we can safely assume, I think, that he entered at Diagon Alley. Harry knows very little about our world. I think that will be a help in finding him. He won't be out of sight-for-long."

"Didn't you tell him that we would fetch him today...that we planned...that you were going to pick him up at his aunt and uncle's?" McGonagall asked. She took her place at Dumbledore's desk and looked up at the man who remained standing.

"You know Harry, Minerva. We kept in touch but I was sure he wouldn't act impulsively. He knew the dangers and I thought he trusted me. I thought sure he would stay as long as the blood charm remained in place. However, I am at fault. I wasn't specific about my plans to him," Lupin sighed. "That bloody invisibility cloak. I swear Dumbledore should have burned it! Instead, what does he do? He gives it to him! If it hadn't been for that we would never have lost him."

"And in Diagon Alley, too!"

There was a silence and Harry held his breath. He was feeling mildly guilty and angry at the same time. As usual no one ever divulged their plans to him and yet he also knew that Remus would have come for him.

"Yes, well, Albus did a lot of things," she murmured at last breaking the silence. "I thought I was a friend of his; I thought he felt safe in confiding in me. Now, I have found that he kept many secrets." Harry caught a glimpse of her face through an opening between the cupboard doors. She looked very sad.

"You know him, Minerva," Lupin said with despair, "He protected everyone. He was always, always trying to make sure no one was harmed. He's done it ever since I've known him and probably as long as you've known him."

Lupin was out of his line of sight so Harry watched McGonagall who was now nodding in acknowledgement of what Remus was saying.

"Well, shall we do it?" McGonagall said as she got to her feet. "I want you to know that I think this is a terrible invasion of his privacy. However, he left no will, which was very unlike him. Of course, we have yet to open his vault at Gringott's. I believe he probably did leave something there and if he did he would have wanted Hagrid to have it. Possibly he left a clue there as well and I am hesitant about taking this action. Don't you think we should wait?"

"We've had this discussion," Lupin said irritably. "The goblins may have already gotten to it. We know that some are loyal to Voldemort. They are certainly stalling for time and that's a bit suspicious. Albus didn't designate an executor of his estate and you know it could take years to clear it all up."

"Yes, yes, I know." She walked across the room and out of Harry's sight. He heard the faint ringing of glass as she reached through a door and jostled the contents and he knew immediately what their intentions were. "I hesitate to do this," she was saying, "but I understand that we must. However, we have agreed. Once we have learned of his activities then the contents of the Pensieve will be bottled and put in the archives in the library."

Harry thought Lupin must have agreed. She continued after a pause. "Very well. I'll take care of that. I think I will mislabel the contents so that Scrimgeour or one of his aids will not be able to find it." She spoke about the Minister of Magic with a sourness in her voice and Harry nodded in agreement. "Madam Pince can keep a secret. If anyone tries to enter her library intent on snooping she would fight them off like a lioness." .

"Together then?" Lupin asked.

Harry knew that the time was ripe for him to leave the room while they were in the Pensieve and yet he wanted to know what they learned and how it affected him. He had only ever been in the Pensieve on his own when he stumbled on it for the first time and the second incident in which he saw Snape's life; the other times he had been guided by Dumbledore. He'd forgotten all about it when he made plans to steal the sword. Now, he wished that he could have used it himself.

_They are going to learn about the Horcruxes, _he thought, biting his lip. He pulled his wand and lit it only so the end glowed dimly in the darkness of the closet. He studied the jars of potions ingredients without really paying attention to the labels. His mind was on what they were learning.

And sure enough, minutes passed by, then a half hour and still they were silent, bent over the basin with their faces emerged in Dumbledore's thoughts. Lupin was the first to step back and exclaim in astonishment, "Horcruxes! My god!"

Minerva stepped away a fraction of a second later and exclaimed, "Remus!"

"Yes, yes, I know!" he answered and his voice got closer as he paced the circular room and came close to Harry's hiding place. "And Harry was privy to this information. What do you think Albus was doing?" he said, sounding very annoyed. "Harry is still a young man, he's just about to come of age. How could Albus think of including him in this bizarre hunt for...for Horcruxes!"

McGonagall didn't speak. Once again Harry caught sight of her behind Dumbledore's desk. There was a long pause and she finally spoke. "Albus thought that Harry had some special skills that were transferred to him at the time of his parent's death. After all, he can speak parseltongue; we know he has a mental connection to the Dark Lord and he's escaped death at his hands several times. There's probably more."

"Minerva...," Lupin growled.

"Yes, yes, I agree with you," McGonagall said and nodded emphatically. "Such a burden. Perhaps he is the Chosen One as they report, although based on his performance in classes, his skills are moderately good; not excellent, not even spectacular, although I have to admit he is the best Quidditch Seeker I have ever seen."

Harry had to agree with that even though he was slightly embarrassed by her words.

"Perhaps he has improved over the summer," she was saying, "but that does not make him a match for the Dark Lord or for destroying... Horcruxes." She said the last with great distaste.

"What do you know of Horcruxes, Minerva?" This time Lupin dropped into a chair across from the desk and Harry could see him.

"Probably as much as you," she answered. "One must commit a heinous crime to wrench the soul from the body and place it in a receptacle. If Albus was right, and it appears he was, there are several of these objects, meaning that Voldemort split his soul into parts. We know that one piece resides always within the body. Once the objects are destroyed he will become mortal again."

Lupin had his fist to his mouth, pounding at his lips unconsciously and was nodding as if stunned. "Terrible to think about!"

She nodded in agreement.

"It looks like two have been destroyed; the ring and the diary," McGonagall stared into the distance and continued, "Albus and Harry were probably on a journey to find another the night he was killed. They returned to the astronomy tower. Harry said Albus was weak and defenseless. So he must have found one. What else would have made him that way? Snape could not have overcome him if Albus had not been hurt. And what of the object? Does Harry have it? Is that why he's trying to hide from us?"

Lupin glanced at the portrait above and behind her. "What does it matter? It doesn't bear thinking about. We know that Harry knows. He will go after Snape and after the other objects, however many there are. You know it and I know it. I only hope I can find Severus before he does."

"Do you think he knew about Lily and Severus?" McGonagall asked.

"No," Remus said thoughtfully, "No, I think not." He jumped to his feet and began the restless pacing again. He stopped at the shelf where the Sorting Hat rested and stared at it for a long time. "Minerva what is missing in this room? Who has been here?"

McGonagall looked up and frowned. "The house elves have strict orders to touch nothing. The Ministry has taken some of the portraits in for questioning, which is useless." She stood and stared around the room. Dumbledore's various trinkets and tools remained on their polished tables, some still emitting little puffs of steam or smoke. Her hand glided over them as she searched with her eyes.

"My god! The sword!" she mumbled. "Remus, Gryffindor's sword is gone!" She stepped to the wall and placed her hand on the empty spot where it had hung. "It's gone."

Lupin stepped over and glanced at her once before leaning in and sniffing, much like a dog, where the sword had hung. Harry watched in fascination. _Can he smell me? _he wondered.

"Yes...yes," he said and smiled wanly, opening his eyes to stare at her. "Harry took it. His essence remains in the room and it is stronger then any other. I didn't pay attention, his smell is so familiar to me. But I can tell now that he took it not long ago."

McGonagall glared at him. "He must know something about the sword that we don't. Can you track him? Is it too late?" she asked.

Remus searched the room with his eyes and his nose twitched. The gleam in his eyes was preternaturally animalistic and Harry drew in his breath as he watched. He had never seen this side of Lupin. He had seen him transform-yes- but he hadn't realized that in his everyday behavior the wolf lie just beneath the surface. He suddenly remembered Fenrir Grayback and how he had delightedly told Dumbledore that he was murdering and eating children even when the full moon was not out. Harry stared at Remus and shuddered. He spun to the shelves at his back and read the labels once more.

_He will find me_, he thought. _Something to disguise my smell... _He frantically searched the shelves.

"His scent is all over the room but strongest here," Lupin said as he neared the cupboard. "No one else seems to have been in the room since the end of term, other then you and the Ministry wizards. The other scents have faded." The gray eyes cast about the room. "Let me go to the hallway and perhaps I can follow his trail." Lupin quickly left the room and McGonagall followed.

Harry waited for ten minutes and heard nothing. He'd found the Death Camases in among the ingredients for potions, the seed pod when broken would give off a horrid odor. He had no idea if it could disguise his scent or if the smell alone would kill him. He could wait no longer as he heard their returning footsteps. He broke the tubular root and held his breath. The odor had a visible greenish gas that was filling up the cupboard.

Lupin came near and sniffed. "Ooh, yipes. Albus' potions cupboard stinks. I think something has broken inside and it smells like Death Camases. You might have the house elves come up and clean it before it kills someone. Come let's get out of here. Take the Pensieve down to the Library."

"The smell always reminds me of mountain troll," McGonagal was saying as they left the room.

Harry burst from the cupboard and ran to a window, flinging it wide so he could hang his head and gulps in deep breaths of fresh air. He followed in their footsteps, wary of their reappearance, until he was in the corridor on the second floor. He knew, without having to have the Marauder's Map, of an escape route under the humped-back witch. This time he was going to take it, not to sneak away to his friends in Hogsmeade, but to avoid a confrontation with Remus and McGonagall.

He exited through the candy store just as he had years before wearing his invisibility cloak. The village was quiet and there were few people on the streets. He was thankful for that.

He wandered out of the village and when he was safe he once again stuffed the invisibility cloak into his satchel and exchanged it for his wizard's cloak and continued on his journey. Periodically, he would pull a map out and study it and then continue walking. When he was sure that he was not followed and was in the countryside, he called to his broom. _Acio, broom!_

It took several minutes for the Firebolt to come sailing over the trees and stop waist high within reach of his hand. He would never have thought it possible to call his broom to him if he had not had the experience during the Triwizard Tournament. He touched the broom handle fondly and threw his leg over it. The broom shivered, much like a horse when it is mounted. He took off into the cobalt blue sky and headed North. Once in the air, he knew that Remus could not follow his scent, even if he managed to track him to this point.

Harry thought about the scene in Dumbledore's office with the portrait of Dumbledore's fiancée and then of Lupin and McGonagall. He had learned a great deal from Margaret and something that might come in useful from Lupin and McGonagall. He wanted to travel for a distance during the day and find a spot where he could wait until evening. Harry was fast learning how to avoid meeting up with wizard's and witches. His face was too well known in this world and he needed to remain anonymous.

He used the Disillusionment charm to conceal himself as he flew and then he found a small village and the safety of a tiny attic room at one of the inns. He dropped onto the bed and closed his eyes without sleeping. _Good,_ _I've made it this far, _he thought. By early evening he would again be on the road after he had found a place to post his letters. Then he would find his way to Godric's Hollow.

His hand touched the three letters that lay on the comforter. One addressed to Hermione, Ron and Ginny. He'd written them the day he got off the Hogwarts Express.

Harry held his wand in his hand. He rarely went anywhere without it and took every chance he could to practice his spells. He opened his eyes and stared at the sword left lying on a table in his room. Squinting slightly he pointed his wand and the sword immediately transformed into a pocket watch. He smiled slightly. Professor McGonagall might have been surprised at his skills now. He was clearly doing much better at transfiguration.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three His Friends

Lupin stood in the hallway at Hogwarts and questioned Sir. Nicholas De Mimsy-Porpington, otherwise known as, Nearly Headless Nick, Gryffindor's resident ghost.

"Nick, did you see anyone in the hallways? Did you see Harry Potter?"

The ghost was standing very erect as if at attention and showing polite respect towards the man in front of him. "No, Professor Lupin. I have not seen Harry since the end of last term. Is there cause for concern?" The ghosts eyebrows were knit together in worry.

"He was here a short while ago," Lupin said in disgust. "I have lost his trail." He turned to go and the ghost swirled around in front of him. Remus put on the brakes to keep from walking through the ghost. He was well aware of how uncomfortable the feeling was, having experienced the sensation several times before.

"Perhaps the house elves have seen him," Nearly Headless Nick proposed.

"No, I think not," Remus said and side-stepped to go around. Nearly Headless Nick floated in front of him to block that exit.

"Since we are discussing the house-elves, perhaps you can find a moment to talk to them. They are very disturbed by Dumbledore's death and fear that if school does not start again that they will be left _'unemployed'_." The ghost wrung his hands, cleared his throat and continued. "You and I know that they will not find _employment_ elsewhere. Their leader...."

"Leader?" Lupin repeated raising his eyebrow. "They have a leader?"

"Oh, yes. One of them befriended Harry Potter early on although he served the Malfoy family; he was a servant to Lucius Malfoy at the time. He actually warned Harry Potter of danger to himself when the Chamber of Secrets was opened. Harry returned his good deed by setting him free. The house-elf chose to work at Hogwarts for _a salary _and he has asked my advice on the matter of their future employment."

"Yes, I seem to remember him hanging around. Dotty is his name?" Lupin said quickly, wanting to move on, his mind on other matters. The ghost had other ideas and seemed to be floating in his path no matter which way he turned.

"No, Professor; it is Dobby."

"Dobby." Lupin studied the wall just behind the ghost and nodded to himself. "They have an uncanny way of finding people don't they. Dumbledore told me he was especially fond of Harry if I remember."

Lupin was speaking more to himself then to the ghost and yet Nearly Headless Nick answered. "Yes, they do. Humans have observed many of their talents, although, if you will pardon my observations, they have made light of or neglected their importance."

Remus turned on his heel and started towards the dungeons. He was well aware of how to locate the entrance to the kitchens. "Thanks Nick. You've been very helpful." The ghost bowed deeply and found to his dismay that he had to right himself quickly or find his head slung over his shoulder hanging by a ghastly thread. "You are most welcome, Professor Lupin."

While Lupin sought out Dobby, Minerva McGonagall emptied the contents of the Pensieve and carried it in a fishbowl size container to the Library. The librarian, Madam Pince, was in the library but not to be located immediately. Minerva McGonagall knew that during the summer the woman spent inordinate amounts of time sorting and cataloguing old manuscripts and scrolls. These she placed in a special vault and the faculty were the only ones with access.

"Ima?" Minerva called cradling the sealed bowl. "Are you there?

The thin faced, sullen woman stepped out from behind a bookcase. "Yes, Minerva?"

"There you are," McGonagall said and stepped forward. "I have the contents of Albus Dumbledore's Pensieve. You know what to do."

The librarian nodded and took the precious item into her arms. She studied it for a moment, closed her eyes and then frowned. "Minerva there is a problem here."

"Really? What could that be?" McGonagall asked.

"Another person's thoughts are combined in this container with Dumbledore's."

"Really!" McGonagall exclaimed with surprise.

"Oh yes, I am quite sure." Madam Pince said. "I believe I detect.....yes, it's very clear.... Professor Snape has also included some of his own thoughts."

McGonagall stared at the opaque orb and put out a hand. "Don't put it away just yet. Remus Lupin may still be in the castle. He will want to hear about this." She headed out the door, stopped and turned again. "I shall also want to look in the vault for anything that you might have on Horcruxes."

Madam Pince jumped and the glass bowl flew from her hands. McGonagall was very quick to draw her wand and stop it before it reached the ground. "Ima, please do be careful with that!"

The librarian held it firmly in her hands and glared at the back of the older witch as she left. "Horcruxes!" she whispered. "You expect to find dark magic in my library?! That will be the day!"

Several book flew off the shelf and spoke to her as she passed them on her way to her vault. She turned and pulled her wand out in a threatening manner. "That will be quite enough from you!"

In another part of the world, where the everyday business of muggles was taking place, Hermione Granger packed the last of her belongings into a box. She had been preparing, like Harry, to make a move- a permanent move- into the wizarding world. Although, there was no news yet about Hogwarts opening for the next term, she had made plans. She was going to leave her parents and join the wizarding world.

She knew there was grave danger there, but her heart was always with wizard's and witches and not with muggles, even though she loved her parents. She had one year to complete, if it became possible, and then she would choose a career and live there the rest of her life. Her closest friends, Ron and Harry, were there and she could not see herself being anywhere else. She snapped the traveling suitcase closed and surveyed her room. There was nothing left to hint at her 'magical' side.

She nodded and took a deep breath. Saying goodbye to her parents would be the last and hardest thing to do. It wasn't like she was going off to University and would see them now and again. As she had explained to them, the danger that threatened her might threaten them. If she were gone, then they would be safer and of course they had not wanted her to go.

She picked up the valise and headed down the stairs. She also carried a map in her bag.

Hermione had been busy during the summer months. She knew Harry better than anyone else and she knew he would leave her and Ron behind and try to find Snape and the Horcruxes alone. She was neither angry or disturbed by it. That's just the way he was. And so she had done research through the summer.

Hermione made her best guess and booked a seat on the train to Hogsmeade and from there she intended to go North. She knew she could use another means of travel, as long as it wasn't flying, but she liked the train and he would be waiting for her. She had written a lengthy letter explaining every thing to him.

"If McGonagall's letter should show up saying that school is in session," she said to her mother at the door, "then send it back and write on the envelope Hogsmeade Post. "I'll check when I get there. Address it the way I've told you, it's Victor Krum in Bulgaria. Everyone knows him. That's the name you put on the letter and the owl will find him." She smiled at the owl she had specifically purchased for them, then tearfully kissed her mother and hugged her father and hurried down the walk to the waiting taxi.

Ron was still living at the Borough though the house was empty most of the time. He had avoided his mother and his sister all summer long and had taken long rides on a very old broom to stop and meditate in a quiet meadow where he could be alone. He felt mostly angry. His one and only close friend was Harry.

"You have to admit, I've been there with you all along, Harry," he said, staring at a crow sitting on a post. He had taken to talking to his absent friend as if he were present. "I helped you get to the Sorcerer's Stone and I went with you to battle the Basilisk, even if I didn't quite make it all the way because of that twit Lockhart. And I fought at the Department of Mysteries. I never thought I would do that! My family, my dad and my sister have been hurt, almost killed, and I never complained. I even let you date my sister." He frowned at that and threw a stone half-heartedly at the bird. It sat and squawked at him and didn't move. "And then there were the spiders. Spiders, Harry!" He shivered and shook his head. "You know I don't like spiders."

The sun beat down on the field of long grasses and the air was still. There was no breeze or sound except for buzzing insects and birds in the trees that shaded him. "It's not that I'm afraid exactly," he said and threw another stone. "But I am afraid. Anybody in their right mind would be. You and Hermione just don't understand things. Lots and lots of wizards think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named can't be defeated. If that isn't bad enough, there's the Horcruxes. It makes him immortal. Blimey! That means he lives forever, Harry. Now that Dumbledore's gone we don't stand a chance!"

"What are you starin' at?" he said nastily at the black bird. He turned the wand in his hands that he always carried and made a slight movement with it. He conjured a gingham tablecloth which he laid on the grass and then a tall glass of cold pumpkin juice.

He sat back on the bank under the tree and sipped it. "Ok Harry, I figure I can do that. I probably can find something you or Hermione might have overlooked. You know I'm not altogether useless, I'm not a coward." He drank the tall drink down and pushed himself off the ground. He had grown even more over the summer and was now the tallest in his family. He reached in his pockets and felt the objects there, counting and fingering them.

He had spent the morning at his brothers's shop in Diagon Alley and had filled his pockets with useful items from the shelves. He knew they would find out eventually but he didn't care. He figured he was as good as or better then Fred and George when it came to spell work. He'd never shown any aptitude for it at school but found that if he concentrated on doing one thing and doing it very, very well that he could pull it off enough to satisfy even Professor McGonagall, or Professor Flitwick.

"Ok then, Harry," he announced to the Black bird. "Here I go. No# 12 Grimmauld Place it is!" He disapparated into thin air leaving the cloth-covered table sitting in the field, the empty glass and the black bird on the fence.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four His Enemies

Snape sat across the table from Draco Malfoy and stared at him. The boy's face was still wet with tears after finding out that his mother was dead. He was in shock as well and looking quite frightened. Lucius had been released from Azkaban and his whereabouts were unknown. _He is most likely dead_, Snape thought.

Draco had not killed Dumbledore as he was instructed to do and now the Dark Lord had several reasons for turning on the Malfoy family. Lucius Malfoy had failed him, and his son had failed him and Draco was worried that if his father wasn't dead and couldn't be found; did it mean that he had he been left high and dry to face the dark lord alone? He had taken the dark mark without carefully considering the consequences and Snape had no pity for him.

Snape glared at him. Draco had grown up with great wealth. Even though his father cared very little for the him, he had wanted for nothing; unlike Snape himself, who had grown up in poverty living with a brutal father.

Snape hated Draco .He despised the boy for his cowardice, weakness and pettiness and most of all because he had kept the true plan a secret. He could not intervene and had been forced to do the thing that he had dreaded doing.

Draco was nothing like his father. At least Lucius was as black-hearted and cruel as everyone knew him to be, so there was that and Snape could respect that, could even admire the man. There was a loyalty there for his master that few could understand. Lucius feared very little, was extremely intelligent and, above all; he was pureblood. He believed in the tripe that the Dark Lord fed them all; believed in ridding the world of half-bloods and muggle-born.

He had been a valuable tool to the Dark Lord, who was, like Snape himself, a half-blood. Riddle had taken many steps to hide that particular issue from his faithful servants. For all Lucius knew Voldemort had descended in a direct line from Salazar Slytherin; his blood remained untainted. Very few knew the truth, that his mother had seduced and used her magic to win the affections of Tom Riddle, Sr.

Snape hated most women. He found that they were often duplicitous and conniving. There was only one, and she was dead. He thought of her every day; talked to her every day. Held up against the common ordinary witch, she had achieved a position not unlike a saint in his mind.

His thoughts returned to the boy before him. He wondered what Draco would do if he told him that it had been he that had murdered his mother. Although, that wasn't quite true.

Snape ground his teeth in anger as he thought about Bella Lestrange. Narcissa Malfoy had made a mistake the evening that she and her sister had come to him. If Bella had not been present Snape would not have had to make the Unbreakable vow. Narcissa trusted her sister to much, trusted in blood ties.

Bella had foolishly gone immediately to Voldemort and told him of the vow unmindful of the danger she put her sister in. But then Snape knew that Bellatrix Lestrange was mentally unhinged and probably as cold-blooded as any of the Death Eaters. _She probably knew that Voldemort would kill her sister, _Snape mused, _if only to make sure Narcissa could not divulge any plans._

Snape was again betrayed when news reached him that it was he that had killed Narcissa. He knew at once that he had been set-up by his own master. He regretted her death. Narcissa was arrogant and haughty but she did not deserve to die trying to protect her only son. Snape's thoughts flitted lightly on his own mother's many sacrifices and then he hastily pushed the memories away in anger. _Women and their sons! They die needlessly, sacrificial lambs for their sons. _

This brought to mind, Harry Potter. Since the night of Dumbledore's death he knew his feelings about the boy had evolved. It had always been a sure thing, his hatred of the Boy-Who-Lived. Now, he didn't know how he felt. And, it didn't matter. Not now.

Draco was hiccupping and staring at the table. He had finally stopping crying and was sitting quietly. Snape was happy about that. He'd grown tired of the moaning and groaning and weeping and whining. He had grown tired of pretending to care. Over the past three months they remained in hiding from everyone including the Dark Lord. Snape had made a contingency plan for the very moment when he would part from the wizard, suspecting that the Dark Lord might turn on him. What he didn't expect was to have a companion, Draco Malfoy, to baby-sit; or, to have the whole world believe he was a murderer. He didn't care if they thought he murdered others, only if they believed he murdered Dumbledore.

Knowing that Dumbledore was dead made Snape wish that he had killed Narcissa Malfoy, and her sister and any other Death eater that happened to get in his way. He was not innocent when it came to getting his hands dirty; he had learned from a master. But he had been very careful when it came to carrying out the Dark Lord's orders. He had always managed to avoid the most terrible parts of it. He had never murdered or tortured anyone, although he had seen it done and had done nothing to prevent it.

Snape grunted in anger as he thought about Tom Riddle and the creature he had become.

Draco- who was such a pathetic boy- had successfully carried out a plan that he, Severus Snape, had not been privileged to know about. _That was Riddle for you_, he thought. _Always keeping secrets._

Severus believed he knew Voldemort very well. He'd met him when he was a boy and had been very careful to earn his favor. But he was also aware that the Dark Lord did not share his secrets with him or for that matter- anyone. Even Albus Dumbledore, who knew more then anyone about Tom Riddle would not reveal all he knew to Snape.

Snape studied the issues concerning his pseudo-master while he remained idle _. What has changed the man and made him less human_? Snape wondered_. Why has he betrayed me and made me responsible, for not only one death, but two? Why did he make it look like I was the one who murdered Albus Dumbledore? Does Voldemort want to get rid of me? It is likely, _he thought. _He has decided that he must act alone in some endeavor._

_What would Lucius do when he found out that he had (supposedly) murdered his wife? Would he come out of hiding to take revenge? _Snape wished he would. He wanted a fight; yearned for it. What better way to die then to try his skills with Lucius, better then to face Voldemort.

Snape spent the days trying to answer these questions and more. Now, he was useless. He could no longer trust that Voldemort trusted him and he could not share information with Dumbledore. He could not go to the Ministry who would most assuredly throw him into Azkaban and give him to the Dementors and there was absolutely no one left alive who would believe his story of innocence.

Snape had learned a long time ago that he was headed for a fall. When it came, he knew it would be the end of him and probably a gruesome one at that. It was alright. He had wanted to end it for years. Now, he could understand why his own mother had taken her life. She had lost hope and she had grown tired.

He stared at Draco and wanted to scream at him and hurt him; although he did not lay a hand on him. The thoughts alone were condemnation in themselves. _I have become my father_, he said to himself in disgust, _ as I always knew I would be_.

Snape stood and left the room. He couldn't tolerate Draco another minute. He walked through the rooms of the small bungalow. The windows let in very little light and the interior was as dark, musty and quiet as the grave.

Snape's memories of the house he hid in were bittersweet. He had not actually lived there with Lily since she had married Potter and bore his son, but at least she had been there. He could touch her things and if he tried very hard, he could smell the lingering perfume that she wore. He avoided the nursery where the 'event' had taken place and instead prowled the other rooms of the house and the overgrown garden. He allowed Draco time outdoors only at night.

Snape knew that very few people could find Godric's Hollow. Pettigrew, Lupin, Dumbledore, and a few others including Lord Voldemort knew where it was. No one had been there for years. He doubted Voldemort would even think about it and if he did, Snape didn't care. If he were going to die then he wanted it to be in the same place where she had died, where Lily Evans had died. _Perhaps they will bury me beside her_, he thought and the thought gave him comfort.

_What to do?_ he asked himself for the hundredth time. They could not stay hidden forever.

Voldemort was busy. He could not depend on any of his Death eaters to accomplish the tasks because he could not tell any of them of the Horcruxes. He had always operated alone and this was no different. His rage knew no bounds when he made the trip to the cave, a place he had not visited for many years, and found the basin empty and the locket gone. And he knew who had done it. If Dumbledore had not been murdered, Voldemort would have murdered him again for the sheer pleasure of it.

He could only assume the locket had been destroyed. His diary was gone and his locket was gone. That left only four. He now set aside all other plans and focused on the hiding places of his precious objects.

His other plans would have to be delayed. He could not rule over the wizarding world just yet. Getting rid of his loyal servants, Snape and Lucius, was a necessary step. He could not share power and he didn't need them any longer.

His biggest task had been completed in killing Dumbledore; something he contrived to do which had taken great skill and magic. It delighted him that Dumbledore's last thoughts were that he had been betrayed. Lord Voldemort soothed himself with the memories.

He did not like being vulnerable. He had miscalculated once too often and would not make another mistake. He took his revenge out on Lucius, whose misfortune was to have lost his diary. It had cost him one Horcrux, one precious piece of his soul. And Lucius had gotten caught at the Department of Mysteries in his attempt to steal the prophecy and had been imprisoned.

What was worse was that he, Lord Voldemort, had gone to the Department of Mysteries, too. Lucius was to have cleared the way for him and he found that the wizard had failed! He had been left to confront Albus Dumbledore! It had surprised him when his ploy to possess the Potter boy had resulted in his own failure. He had felt such pain- it was beyond description- worse then the Cruciatus Curse and it enraged him even further.

As a result, he killed Narcissa Malfoy. He enjoyed playing with her first, like a cat with a mouse; and then he killed her. That was quite satisfactory, and even more so because he let Lucius watch. _A just punishment_, he decided. And what was hilarious was the fact that Lucius thought it was Snape! Lucius would go after the real Snape and they would more then likely kill one another.

He thought about his next step and decided that he would stop at Gringott's Wizarding bank and regain the cup first. It was on his way and it would take very little effort or time. Then he would go to Godric's Hollow. His last and final Horcrux had been made there using the murder of James Potter to perform the charm. It was very pleasing to him to use a Gryffindor object, as he planned to do all along, and not have to go to the trouble of stealing one from Hogwarts. His first attempt to do that had been thwarted by Dumbledore himself. The thought, once again, made him furious.

Unfortunately, he had also left the new Horcrux in the house that night just after he had killed the James Potter and had gone upstairs to kill the Potter child. He had intended on retrieving it on his way out. But he could not have foreseen the result of his second murder attempt and that particular memory sickened him. He had spent twelve long years in exile without a body because of that child's mudblood mother! What was worse was his last Horcrux had been left exposed in the house. It could be anywhere. He waved the thought away in his mind. No one would have found it. No one knew what it was.

After that he would retrieve the other things; the ring.... . He caressed the velvet chair in which he sat and studied Nagini. He refused to let the possibility that he had been careless with the Horcruxes enter his mind.

_The Potter boy!_ Voldemort's face twisted into a grimace as he thought about Harry. He was an enigma. There was the blood charm that protected him, the connection that linked them together and his failure to kill the boy- not once- not twice- but three times. Again the memory of the attempted possession at the Ministry returned. He shot to his feet with the thoughts that invaded his mind. Voldemort hated failure and he hated Harry Potter. AND, he was not at peace.

Harry traveled now only by night, since the territory was completely unknown to him. It was a struggle to avoid contact with others and still find a place to eat and sleep. What he really needed was a guide but couldn't afford to hire one out of fear that he would be recognized. He had a clue as to where Slughorn might be found and he was hoping that he could take a small side trip, before he reached Godric's Hollow, to find the wizard.

Harry disliked Slughorn and had from the beginning. But he knew more then he would talk about and Harry figured the man owed him something. If he couldn't have Dumbledore then he would have Horace Slughorn and he would make him talk!

Harry was wise to Slughorn's smooth escapes. He had hidden himself from Voldemort for over a year by staying in a muggle house. Albus had used Harry as bait to persuade Slughorn to go to Hogwarts to teach. Harry knew why Dumbledore had done it and he wasn't angry with him for it. Dumbledore had used his celebrity to entice the man and then Harry had gotten the memory from him that concerned the Horcruxes.

Harry felt that Dumbledore had done the right thing. He wished only that he had told him what he was planning. It always seemed to Harry that no one trusted him enough to give him the details and he was tired of it. It was only fair now, he decided, that he not reveal his own plans. He thought of Remus and McGonagall and their conversation. _So they had known about his mother and Snape! Once again a little bit of history kept from me, _he thought_._

To get his mind off of the thoughts and feelings he had about that, he focused on Slughorn. The man fled Hogwarts soon after Dumbledore' funeral.

Harry pinched his nose where there was a sore spot. He knew he couldn't wear his regular glasses and had, therefore, found a pair of pince-nez to wear when he was around anyone. He swapped these out for his glasses when he traveled alone.

Just as he was shackled to his glasses, he knew that Slughorn was also shackled to his life-style; his sweets, luxuries and conveniences. It had taken some time and he had kicked himself for not thinking of it sooner, but Harry had found a means to track him. Just as Hansel and Gretal had left a trail of crumbs in the forest, Horace Slughorn had left a trail of his own making.

_Maybe that's how Dumbledore found him the first time_, Harry thought. It was amazing how often he thought of his dead headmaster and friend. He was even feeling proud that he was beginning to think like him.

Evening bore down on him as he flew into the busy streets of the village. He wore his disguise as usual and tried to be inconspicuous as he merged into the crowds that were shopping in the open market place. It was the end of summer and many people were taking advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables available on the open stands. Harry passed through them, this time with a cap on his head, pulled down low, and dressed in clothes that suited a younger wizard. He was thin and small for his age. Staying at the Dursleys for three months had increased the overall look of starvation. Harry thought that the disguise suited him. People would look at him as if he were a child.

He walked the narrow street bustling with activity and spied the local sweet shop. A bell tinkled as he entered and he made his way past young children eyeing the jars of candies and sweets that lined the shelves. A portly woman with an apron pinned to her waist was behind the counter. He approached and smiled, tilting his head so he could see through the small lenses. "I'm looking fer work," he said. His accent was definitely country.

She glanced up after wrapping a purchase for a boy and turned to him. She had a pleasant, warm smile and it stayed on her face as her eyes traveled over his worn-out clothing and his dirty face. Harry had worked on his disguise and knew that she was thinking that he was a poor homeless wretch.

"Hello," she said. "You look more like you need a bite to eat first before you fall down!"

He dropped his eyes in embarrassment, pretending to be shy and shuffled uneasily on his feet.

"Horatio, come out to the counter please," the woman shouted behind her at a curtain covering a doorway. "I need to take a break."

A very small, spindly-looking man stepped through the curtain and stared at Harry. He appeared to be the woman's husband, although the sight of them together was amusing. One lean, the other stout.

"Come on, boy," she said. "I have a pot on the stove in the kitchen. Won't take but a minute to stir something up." They pushed through to the kitchen with Harry coming from behind. She pulled a wand from her apron and began to flick it towards shelves that lined the small kitchen. It reminded Harry of Mrs. Weasley and he found himself feeling very grateful, although a little ashamed, at what he would have to do.

She talked non-stop as she worked and Harry dove into the bread and soup so that he wouldn't be forced to answer her questions with lies.

"...... an orphan," he mumbled an answer as he chewed. That was not a lie, although he had never really thought of himself as such.

"I thought so," she said and sat a jar of jam on the table. "You're awfully young to be in such a state. Was it an accident, you losing your parents?" She looked at him with very concerned eyes.

"No....murdered by You-Know-Who," he said. _There, he hadn't lied about that either_.

"Oh dear!" Mrs. Huxley exclaimed. "How horrible for you."

"'appened a long time ago." He waved nonchalantly and continued to eat and then stopped, "Mrs. 'uxley, do you 'ave work fer me, makin' deliveries or somethin'." Harry asked, switching subjects. "I only need a bit o' money, a couple hours a day- maybe fer just a few days."

She watched him and nodded. "Let me talk to Horatio. But don't you worry your head about a thing. You just eat."

"Aye, and mum....?" Harry stopped her cold by calling her mum. "I 'eard about 'ow you make this special sweet- sugared pineapple. Do you 'ave any? Just a bit. I tasted it once. It's me favorite!"

She winked and grinned and then waddled through the curtains and returned only moments later. "Not a problem! You can start today! But first you must bath and put on fresh clothing." She stuffed a small package into his fist and nodded towards a set of narrow stairs at the end of the kitchen. "We have a room just above the kitchen where you can sleep. It's not been used in years. It belonged to my boy, Harold, who's married with children of his own. There are probably even clothes that will fit you there. He's so like his dad you see, very small and delicate. Off you go then!" She swept his plate away and ushered him to the stairs. "Come down when you're ready."

Harry nodded and climbed the stairs. _Perfect, _he thought, that _worked out perfectly_. He felt lucky in having remembered the name on the wrapper that held Slughorn's sugared pineapple and now he was in that very store; **Horatio and Helga Huxley's Confectioners. **He washolding a parcel of it. With any luck he would wait long enough for Slughorn to run out and order more.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five The Locket

"So did it reveal anything we didn't already know?" McGonagall asked. She was watching Lupin who had once again bent his head into the Pensieve and watched the memories play out before him.

Remus looked puzzled and nodded. "I think so. I shall have to have time to think about what I saw, Minerva. It's clear that Snape used the Pensieve to hold some of his worst memories so that when he was teaching Harry Occlumency he wouldn't be able to access them. Poor Harry! Unfortunately, it's also clear that Harry stumbled on a few of them. Dumbledore's memories include a particularly virulent argument he had with Snape."

She glanced at the Pensieve and once again sealed its' contents into the fishbowl. "Don't tell me, I don't want to know. I have been kept in the dark about so many things that I am ashamed to say that I feel like a fool. I don't want to know anymore."

"Minerva..." Lupin began.

"No...no," she said, shaking her head. "It's alright. Perhaps it's better if I don't know. Now, I must be off. I have an appointment with Scrimgeour about opening the school."

"Really?!" Remus exclaimed. "He's for it?"

McGonagall nodded. "It seems our Miss Granger has been rather busy this summer with the help of some of the other students in a letter-writing campaign. I don't know how she did it but Rita Skeeter has recently been writing articles about how Hogwarts needs to open again. The Minister thinks I put her up to it, but that's beside the point. If he wants to reopen Hogwarts then I will agree, as long as we can insure the safety of the students. I expect the Minister to help with that." McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "Really he should know me better then that, although it doesn't surprise me. Rufus Scrimgeour was not my brightest student."

"Yes, well Voldemort had a streak of luck with those cabinets in the Room of Requirement, letting all those Death eaters into the school," Remus said. "I suppose that's been taken care of so we don't have to worry about that happening again."

"Oh, good lord, Remus!" Minerva said. "I hadn't given it a thought since Dumbledore's funeral. I shall take care of it instantly." She grabbed the globe and headed for the door and then suddenly turned. "Remus, I must insist that you consider the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts if the school is reopened."

"Minerva...." Remus began.

"Just think about it. Parents will either send their children back to school or they won't and I'll be rolled in oil and burned at the stake if I let Scrimgeour dictate the terms like Fudge did. If Dolores Umbridge sets foot on these grounds I will quit and I believe every teacher on these grounds will follow suit."

Remus studied her face and smiled slightly.

"Remus, just think about it. I know you have many important things to do, but you really are the best candidate I have at the moment." She shrugged and added, "And the other thing you can do is find Harry Potter."

"Oh, I think one of the house-elves can assist me with that," Lupin said, which caused her to raise her eyebrows. Remus continued, "I want to take a detour to Gringott's and see what is happening with Dumbledore' vault first. Perhaps he hid something there."

She stared steadily at him for a moment and said, "Do be careful, Remus. When I have a moment I will go down to the library and do some research. If I find anything pertinent I will send you an owl. Where will you be staying until term begins?"

"Number 12 Grimmauld Place," he answered.

"Do you think that's wise?" she asked.

He nodded and said, "I'll be fine, Minerva." He watched her leave and then looked around Dumbledore's office and stepped out. He pulled his wand from his robe and whispered a few unintelligible words and sealed the door. Satisfied that no one could get in, he left.

...

Neville Longbottom shouldered his bag and started up the road towards Hogwarts. He still did not know how to Apparate and felt slightly embarrassed about it. However, even with such a handicap, he had told his grandmother that he was of age, he was leaving her house and he would work until he could apply for a job at Hogwarts as a teacher.

She was, to say the least, flabbergasted. "I suppose it's because you think you're mother is getting better. You have fooled yourself into believing that she will recover completely."

Neville was immediately angry. He'd visited his parents over the summer as he always did. This past summer his mother had taken to dressing herself, doing her own hair and wandering about the ward straightening up as if it were her house. When Neville visited he found to his delight that she would sit and hold his hand for hours on end and seemed to be unhappy when he left.

"You don't want her to get better!" he said quickly.

"Do not hold out false hope, boy," his grandmother warned. "It has been years. There has been very little change."

"It's time I live on my own," he responded. He didn't feel courageous, although it had taken everything he had to not cringe at the look she gave him. He thought perhaps she was right. Maybe he did feel stronger because of his mother. No matter what his grandmother said, he would never give up on his parents; not even if his mother didn't improve any further.

He recalled the whole fight as he walked towards Hogwarts. It was really the only home he had ever had, or the only place he felt good about himself and had friends. And in spite of the fact that Dumbledore was gone and the school might not open again, he had nowhere else to go. He hoped that he would not be turned away. All he really wanted was to work in the greenhouses where there was peace and quiet and growing things.

...

Hermione stepped off the train at Hogsmeade. If she had walked but a short distance she would have seen Neville headed towards Hogwarts. As it was, she was met on the platform by a very rugged young man who lifted her off her feet and grinned up at her as she tried to wiggle free. Viktor Krum was dressed in clothes that were out of place and foreign to the little village of Hogsmeade, and because of this and because he was easily recognized, he immediately attracted a crowd of autograph seekers.

Hermione rolled her eyes in frustration as they waded through the growing group of children and parents. _News does seem to travel fast_, she thought pulling him along by his hand. He grinned at her and nodded and waved to the crowd.

Hermione headed for Madam Rosmerta's pub. It had been closed and boarded up by the Ministry after it was discovered that she had been Imperiused and was part of the plot to kill Dumbledore. Innocent of wrongdoing, she was still held for a trial that had not yet taken place. Hermione felt very sorry for the innocent woman even though Madam Rosmerta had been the object of Ron's boyhood crush.

Hermione took Viktor in a roundabout course and finally slipped in the back door of the pub by unlocking the door with her wand.

"So you have found us a quiet place to stay, where we can be alone," Viktor said and grinned.

"Don't get any ideas, Viktor," Hermione said firmly. "I wrote to you about how I felt and about my current relationship. I want to be your friend and that's all."

He nodded solemnly and then smiled again. "Perhaps. And maybe you will change your mind about me. I am strong, attractive guy. Yes? And I will be most famous Seeker on any Quidditch team ever. I am now known by many in this country."

"Oh, yes," she answered and moved away as he edged towards her. "I imagine you will be quite famous, even more then you are now.."

"Who could not want husband like me?" he asked.

"Viktor you don't want a wife," she said sarcastically. _You want a queen so you can play king_, was what she thought.

"Very well, we will discuss this later," he mumbled and dropped down into an empty chair. "I have come a long way. I wish to know why you have brought me here."

Hermione sat across from him and produced two iced butter beers for them. "I need your help Viktor. As one friend to another," she said pointedly, " I need for you to help me find Igor Karkaroff."

He sat forward, frowning at her. "He is coward! Why do you want to find him! Phewy" he snarled, "I do not like him. I don't trust him! He was not even good teacher. Everything I learned came from a wiser man." Viktor picked up the bottle and drank it down and sat back looking sullen. "This place....it is jinxed. Nothing good happens here at Hogwarts. Your Professor Dumbledore was killed here, by the dark wizard- hmmmm- I think Snape was his name. Yes?"

"Yes," Hermione answered. "Dumbledore was murdered."

"Come away with me where you will be safe, Hermione," he urged and she saw that he was serious. "You can stay in Bulgaria until all of these bad things are over with."

"I appreciate your concern Viktor. But I really, really need to find Karkaroff."

"He ran away," Viktor said and shrugged. "He is not at Durmstrang anymore."

"Yes, I know," Hermione said patiently. "But you are such a skilled wizard, and he is in your country. I couldn't possibly get as far as you can searching for him. He trusts you."

"What do you want with him?" Krum asked.

"I can't tell you Viktor. It has something to do with my friend Harry Potter and it is a matter of life and death." She found herself crossing her fingers under the table.

"Ah yes. Harry Potter," he frowned and nodded. "He is a good Seeker, but not better then me."

"No, not better then you," Hermione agreed. She waited and watched him. The room was silent and she watched dust motes drifting down on a single beam of light that broke through a window. The place was so different without it's regular raucous crowd.

"Very well. I will do it," Viktor said and shoved himself away from the table. "But you cannot come with me. It would not be safe."

"Oh-well- alright," she said and rose to her feet. She hadn't expected such an immediate response.

"What do you want me to do with him when I find him?" he asked.

"Ah-uhm," she considered the question. "Well bring him here, to me and...and send an owl. I'll be staying here until I hear from you."

"Very well," he said seriously and drew closer. "You will hear from me." He leaned in to kiss her and Hermione drew back a little and then leaned in and accepted the kiss.

_After all, _she thought, _it is the least I can do._

"You see," he said and grinned. "I think you do like me. When I return I will ask for your hand again. Perhaps you will reconsider."

"Thank you for doing this Viktor," she said.

They stepped out onto the street and Hermione went towards the Inn while Viktor disapparated. She was not aware that villainous eyes followed her.

...

Ron found that he had no difficulty in getting into Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore had set the defensive charms on the door and it seemed that no one had thought to replace them after his death.

The house was as dreary and gloomy as it always was even after having been cleaned. The portrait of Mrs. Black still hung on the wall and remained covered by black curtains. Ron crept by and headed for the kitchen, wanting to avoid wakening her at all costs.

He knew that the Order of the Phoenix kept the place stocked for their meetings and his family had used the house often enough that his mother had left some of their belongings behind. He also knew that Harry would be arriving at any time as soon as he left his aunt and uncle's house. He was looking forward to it and wanted to find something that might be of use.

He comforted himself by fixing a huge sandwich and eating it while he walked through the house. He started at the top, in the attic, and intended to work his way down. By afternoon he had covered only a fraction of the dark cluttered space, eaten several sandwiches and still had found nothing of interest.

"I'm not giving up, Harry. If there is anything in this house that you should know about I'll find it. Besides I'm a pureblood wizard- no offense- but I know what to look for." Ron was again communicating to an invisible Harry. "Dad says there's always magical residue on everything and that a wizard can tell the difference between ordinary objects and magical ones."

Harry would not have been surprised to hear Ron say it. During his journey to the cave with Dumbledore, Harry watched him find an invisible door and an invisible boat just by feeling for it.

Ron re-entered the massive attic and returned to the spot where he left burning candles. Trunks lined the walls along with old furniture. The mice had been into everything and had ruined ball gowns that were hanging in armoires, torn open and nested in expensive furniture and scattered their droppings into the inch thick dust. Various items were monogrammed with initials. No matter how old they were the last initial was always B for Black.

Ron held his illuminated wand up searching for telltale signs of spiders. He was worried about doxies and boggarts and other such benign creature, too. But they didn't hold the same kind of terror that spiders did. His light fell upon a nest that was somewhat larger then a mouse nest. Ron held his nose because, although it was abandoned, it still smelled.

_Kreacher! _he thought. _Has to be._ _Look Harry, he's got all kinds of rubbish that belonged to the Blacks hidden here. _Ron didn't verbalize the thought but continued his conversation with Harry. _Look at this Harry! It's a jewelry box that belonged to Tonks._

The box was perched on top of a cabinet with her names printed on a brass plate: _Nymphadora Tonks Black. _There appeared to be scorch marks on it and the clasp was broken. "Didn't like you very much, huh Tonks?"

Hesitating to step into the nest, Ron pinched his nose with one hand and leaned in. "Aghhhhhh!" he yelped when he saw the bundle move.

The house elf emerged and his big round golf-ball sized eyes reflected the wands glare. Ron was shocked at his condition and wondered how the elf could even be alive.

"Kreacher!"

"Yes, it is Kreacher," the elf croaked. "The human is trespassing." The eyes narrowed and it shrieked, " The human is the friend of the half-blood master! We says go away. Leave us in peace."

Ron stood considering the creature. He wasn't sure if house elves hibernated. His parents had never had enough money to afford the luxury of a house elf and he knew little about them. But he thought that if he didn't get the elf out of the attic and give him some food that the creature would wither up and die. The smell from the nest told him that the creature might well be on it's way towards that end.

He couldn't be soft-hearted like Hermione would have been because he knew that the house elf was loyal to the end. This one had been trained by the Blacks and he would never change. He was loathsome and vile like his previous masters and not to be trusted. Still he could not do nothing. "Kreacher, your master is away. It's time you came out of the attic. You need to feed yourself and clean up this mess!"

"Kreacher does not take orders from this wizard."

"Perhaps not, but your master will be here at any time. It's your job to make sure the house is ready for him."

The house elf snarled and waved the light away.

"Let it be on your head then," Ron said, disheartened. He made one more futile attempt. "He's going to be really mad when he finds out that you haven't been protecting his property. He caught Mundungus Fletcher stealing things out of the house. He might have to have you strung up in the dungeon." Ron cringed at his own words _Perhaps that's going too far, Harry. I doubt the house has dungeons like Hogwarts. Still house elves expect to be threatened now and again._

Kreacher glared at him and slipped away into the dark. Ron stood watching and listening but heard no more from the creature. Deciding that he shouldn't overlook the nest in his search, he once again held his breath and climbed in.

An hour later, he stepped into the hallway breathing in huge gasps of fresh air and held the locket up by its' chain with a handkerchief. Unlike all the other things in the attic, this one had one initial engraved on its' surface, a large ornate S. Not daring to touch the actual locket, he slipped it into Tonks jewelry box that he had dusted off for that purpose, and headed down the stairs feeling very satisfied and happy.

_Now all I have to do is find Kreacher_, _Harry._ _He can tell me who this belongs to._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 A Visit to Gringott's

The owl that carried Hermione's letter from Harry arrived first. It was a week later and she was sitting in an open window at the inn in Hogsmeade contemplating her next step. If Viktor found Karkaroff all the better, she decided. He had been a Death eater and would probably know how to find Snape. If he didn't know, then he might be able to help with the Horcruxes, although Hermione wasn't certain that any of Voldemort's Death eaters knew anything about them.

He certainly was not going to be open about it and that's where Viktor could help. She was trying to develop a contingency plan when she read Harry's letter. It had not been delivered by his owl, Hedwig.

"Oh good grief!" she cried in exasperation. "He's gone and done it now!" The letter stated simply that Harry felt he could not put anyone else in danger and he did as he said he would do and leave his aunt and uncle's house to go it alone. He did not state where he was headed.

She anxiously chewed on her lip, and then made a decision. She grabbed her wand and headed for the door. She Apparated just outside the inn. No witch or wizard could follow another when they Apparated and so the witch that watched her sat back in frustration.

Tonks rearranged her face and stood erect. She successfully disguised herself as an old woman knowing that Hermione would be the first to spot her if she didn't do a good job. Tonks reached for her wand and wrote in the air in golden letters; LOST SIGHT OF HG, LOVE TONKS. She studied it to make sure she couldn't add something or change it and then blew on it and sent the message winging its' way to Remus.

In London, another owl circled above the street and the traffic and waited for the opportune moment to dive down the chimney. Ron was laying on the couch in the sitting room enjoying a nice cold butterbeer and celebrating his find. His feet hung over the end of the sofa and he was almost asleep, resting, before he went on his search for Kreacher, when the owl dropped down on the back of the chair and extended its' leg.

"What's this?" he asked, surprised that the bird had found him. "You're supposed to deliver to me at the Borough." The bird hooted and took off immediately. "Bloody general delivery birds! They fly all over the place, wasting time, when they should deliver directly......"

"Oh Bloody 'ell!" He had received the same cryptic note from Harry. He jumped to his feet and screwed up his face in concentration and then made a decision. He stepped out of the door at Number 12 Grimmauld Place and Apparated to a muggle street just outside of central London . He had only ever gotten letters from Hermione with the muggle address on them and had never been to her house but he was certain he could find her if he asked some muggles for directions.

At the same time, Hermione Apparated to the Burough.

Ginny received her letter and scanned it quickly excited to finally hear from Harry. It was maddening to have to sit at home and not be able to do anything. Nothing, not even the thought that she would not be able to return to Hogwarts and finish her education caused her as much grief as not hearing from him.

She read the letter and then held it to her breast, feeling cold suddenly. The warm heat of summer could not stop her shivering. She rose and wandered down to the broom shed where there were some rather old and ratty brooms left behind by her brothers. She stared at them, then back to the house where her mother was using her wand to hang laundry. _I can go back and go through the floo network or I can use one of the old brooms. It will be rough going and very slow._ She thought about it.. _They can track me through the floo network and if I'm caught, Dad will have kittens! The Ministry will be keen to find another thing to pick on him about. And mum.... _she glanced at her mother again and frowned. _It's all to the good if I can find him and help_.

Without thinking she dropped the letter onto the grass at her feet, swung her leg over the best of the lot and took off, riding low to the ground. She knew of only two people who could help her; George and Fred. She could not use magic without risking getting caught by the Ministry and they were always keen to help. It meant flying to their business premises in Diagon Alley. Ginny swept low through the orchard, made a big circle and headed out. It would take her most of the afternoon to get there and the tired old broom she rode was already lagging.

Hermione apparated in the Burough just as Ginny disappeared over the horizon.

Ron was standing on a street corner with his hand held out trying to ask for directions. Instead, people took one look at him and dropped muggle money into his palm. He stood there feeling confused, dropping the money into his pocket so that his hand was empty and he could stop another muggle. He even tried giving it back. He was just about to give up in frustration when a man dressed in a uniform stepped out of a car and approached him. The sign on the side of the car read: Police.

He smiled at the man innocently. _Oh good_, he thought_, maybe these po-leese can help me_.

"You there! You can't be beggin' on the street corners. It's against the law!"

Remus had barely slept or eaten in days and he was exhausted. Dobby had assured him that he would do his best to find Harry and return quickly, that had been three days ago. Tonk's message had already arrived and it was discouraging. He was the leader of the Order of the Phoenix and their primary functions had shifted significantly. They had suffered and immeasurable loss with Dumbledore's death and also- he hated to say it- with the loss of Snape.

Now that he knew about the Horcruxes their energies were spent on absorbing as much information as possible and even going over old ground. A team was already retracing Dumbledore's footsteps and going over Riddle's past. It was all in hopes of identifying all the Horcruxes.

As to what they would do with them if they found them was beyond him. McGonagall, besides readying the school for the new term, was also spending many hours in the vault in the library. Arthur Weasley was doing his best to weasel into the Department of Mysteries to find out what he could there and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix, what was left of it, were busy on other duties.

Altogether, it looked discouraging. And then the reports flooded in. The Ministry was furious because Ron Weasley had Apparated in front of a pair of muggle police while trying to beg on a muggle street corner. It had taken Remus two days to calm the Minister and straighten that out. Ginny Weasley had disappeared only to show up at her brothers premises in Diagon Alley and then all three promptly disappeared- whereabouts still unknown. Hermione was fine and currently situated at the Weasley household, but for how long? Remus wondered. He didn't have the right to keep her prisoner or Ron prisoner- although he thought Molly Weasley was doing a rather good job of it. Still they were of age and could go where they wished. They all were trying to do the very thing which he was trying to do and that was to locate Harry.

"How did you do it all, Albus?" he asked empty air. Keeping track of teenagers was an impossible task. It was also taking personnel away from other things that were significantly more important, one of them being finding Death eaters or the whereabouts of Lord Voldemort. Finding Harry was also very important but since that was not possible Remus hoped that Harry had the sense to keep hidden. If they couldn't find him then probably the Death eaters couldn't either, and that gave Remus some mild relief.

Remus had also not had time to do much else and his days at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, were busy ones. It seemed that Voldemort was on the move. He'd already gotten the reports of Narcissa Malfoy's death. Draco had not shown up again after running off with Snape. Remus was happy to learn that Neville Longbottom was at Hogwarts. The thought of him reminded him of the prophecy. He had finally heard the entire thing in Dumbledore's Pensieve and it infuriated him. He was pretty sure that Harry knew it too.

_That boy thinks that he's solely responsible for killing Voldemort! _Remus thought. _And you led him to believe it didn't you Albus? _

Each and every discovery they had made in the Pensieve had made him wonder just whether the old man had gone over the edge or had gone senile. Remus had loved Albus Dumbledore for as long as he could remember, but he would have liked-very much- to have had a chance to talk to him and it wouldn't have been a pleasant conversation.

Remus stepped across the street in the bright summer sunlight and entered the cool interior of Gringott's Wizarding Bank. There were fewer wizards and witches present then usual, but it was a sign of the times. People just did not want to be out and about. Lupin walked to a counter, and talked through a small wrought-iron portal, requesting a meeting with the goblin in charge of wills.

"We do not serve your kind," the goblin at the desk said.

Lupin gritted his teeth, leaned into the grill and growled, "I am Remus Lupin. Tell Thornback that I am here. He knows me and I will not take 'no' for an answer." Lupin felt the urge to tear the iron facade off and reach over the desk and strangle the creature. Instead, he hoped that the head of the wizarding bank would remember the good deed he had done for him and talk to him.

The small creature slid off of his high stool and sauntered away down a hallway, walking like a drunken sailor on a rolling ship.

Lupin was restless. There was nothing that he could use to force the goblins to allow him entrance into Dumbledore's vault. He once again silently cursed the old man for not having the foresight to make arrangements concerning his eventual death.

"You may go in," the small goblin said behind him. Take the lift to the seventh floor. There will be a wait."

Lupin nodded grimly and strolled down the marble hallway. Stone gargoyles lined it and grimaced like roaring lions from their perches. Remus didn't pay attention. Several creatures passed him; another hoard of goblins, what was obviously a Remfield; the wizard term for a daylight vampyre, and several humans. Remus stopped to watch them pass. They were gypsies, a very talented type of wizard respected by the wizarding kind everywhere. However, they were rarely seen among normal witches and wizards and Lupin found them fascinating_. I must introduce the students I teach this year to gypsies, _he thought as he entered the room. He had already made up his mind to accept McGonagall's offer.

He took the lift to the seventh floor, stepped out and faced another goblin seated at a desk. The furnishings of the suite were spectacular if not gaudy. Remus didn't like the creatures that worked in the bank, but it had always been so. Goblins had always been the financiers of this world.

"Sign in," the goblin inside the door said and handed him a quill.

"How long must I wait?" Lupin asked.

The goblin studied the clock on the wall, one which had no hands and no numbers but was covered with characters; goblin writing. "Not long."

Lupin nodded and sat down on a stone pew which was part of the wall. He was surprised when the same goblin called to him after only a few minutes.

"Thornback wishes to see you now, Mr. Lupin." The little creature was at his elbow ushering him towards an oak door. "Would you like some wine? It is our finest."

_Goblin-made wine? _Remus thought with surprise. _Why the special treatment?_

Thornback was a typical ugly goblin. However, Lupin noticed the gold and silver watch chain and assorted rings on his long ugly fingers and he knew that the creature held a very high status among his own kind. He was smoking a very large cigar and the room was filled with blue smoke.

Lupin was ushered into a velvet upholstered, hard-back chair in front of the desk. A silver goblet of wine appeared before him and Thornback personally offered a humidor of very fine cigars to him. Lupin declined and thanked him for the wine.

"Now to business," Thornback said withdrawing pieces of parchment from his desk. There was no mention of their past transactions.

"Albus Dumbledore sent us his will days before his death," the goblin said. He shrugged as if this was a normal thing. "The sum total of all his worldly goods are to shared equally between you and his only living relative, his brother, Aberforth Dumbledore. The particulars are written in detail within these papers. I will have someone escort you to his vault shortly after our business is concluded and I think you will find everything in order."

Lupin stared at the goblin and picked up the wine and drank it down. It filled itself immediately. "I'm sure it will be," he gasped.

"There is a curious piece here and that is why we have invited you to join us. We have gone over this and feel we have satisfied ourselves that the paperwork is airtight and flawless. There is no question that this is authentic and not a forgery. The hand of one of our very own has placed his mark and seal at the bottom. Our most skilled personnel have tested it for charms and incantations and there are none." The goblin cleared his throat and looked uneasy. "We are left with one question to resolve and one only. If you can explain this particular to us we would be most grateful, although it is not required."

"Oh?" Lupin said, still in shock at having discovered that he was in Dumbledore's will. "A question?"

"First, let me explain. Mr. Dumbledore accumulated a great deal of wealth in his own right. He was also the guardian and executor of Mr. Harry Potter's estate and in the event of Mr. Dumbledore's death you were to become guardian of Mr. Potter. However, I understand that Mr. Potter recently became of age and can manage his own affairs and so that issue has been successfully resolved. It is very curious to us that Mr. Potter inherited the entire estate of Mr. Sirius Black, since there are living relatives of the Black family. That is, of course, not important to us now. We have entered it into our records in the event that there are ever questions. We only need your affidavit that this was a legitimate transaction. I understand that you knew the godfather, Mr. Sirius Black and can vouch for the authenticity of this information. I have the paperwork ready for your signature on the other matter."

Lupin nodded. "That's fine. I can do that."

Thornback shrugged his little shoulders and picked up his cigar to puff on it. " Mr. Lupin there is a great deal of gold involved, both in Dumbledore's estate and in the Black estate. A great deal indeed!"

Lupin thought it over and smiled to himself. Goblins were known for their greediness. Gold was all that they cared about and they were obsessive about tracking it. He assumed Thornback needed to be reassured that the gold would not be removed from Gringott's and his care. Although the gold belonged to their patrons, the goblins liked counting it and watching over it. "How much would you estimate?"

The goblin wrote something on a piece of paper and slid it across the table.

Lupin read it and reached for the goblet of wine again. _Merlin's beard! _

"We are very meticulous about our record-keeping Mr. Lupin. The amount is accurate down to the last knut."

"Yes. I believe you," Lupin said, now even more curious and feeling very shaken.

"Our records shown that not only was Albus Dumbledore wealthy in his own right but he inherited the bulk of his ancestors wealth as well."

"I see," Lupin said nodding and then shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, I really don't understand."

"On the event of his death you were to be advised that Albus Dumbledore was a direct descendent of Godric Gryffindor?" Hornback declared then leaned forward in his chair, his eyes narrowing. "Our records are very clear about the line of descendency. His last request was that you be informed." Thornback sat back looking satisfied and then thumped his desk with his fist. "By the way, I think you will be happy to know that we have added security on the vault and have one of our dragons protecting it."

Lupin sat stunned. _Gryffindor! Gold! Dragons! _He reached for the silver goblet for one more drink and stopped before it reached his lips. One of the goblins from the lobby rushed in.

"It is He!"

"He who?!" Thornback asked, looking very irritated at the interruption.

"The Dark Lord is in the lobby. He wishes to visit his vault!"

"Did he come alone?" Thornback asked in consternation.

The other shook his head. "There are two other wizards with him."

"Very well," Thornback said. "Escort him to his vault. He knows our policies; his companions must remain in the lobby." He waited until his underling left the office and then he turned to Lupin. "It would be wise if we waited for a short time. Then, I will arrange for you to go to your vault."

"Are you in the habit of letting dark, evil wizards into your establishment, Thornback? Are you going to alert the Ministry?"

"It is our custom to offer our services to everyone and to provide complete confidentiality," the Head goblin said unceremoniously. "We wouldn't think of alerting the Ministry. His affairs are private as are your own. However you are welcome to remain on this floor until he's completed his transactions." There was sly look on the goblin's face. Lupin knew that the goblins were not afraid of the Dark Lord, but Thornback knew he was in danger.

Lupin struggled with this dilemma. He wondered if Voldemort was collecting one of his Horcruxes_. Surely that would be the only reason to come out in the open and risk this exposure_, he thought_. But what do I do? Confront him? That would surely mean death, I cannot hope to defeat him- especially with two of his Death eaters with him. If he has made these Horcruxes then is he presently undefeatable. Should I follow him after he has left the building? That might be impossible_, he thought. Although he was sure that given enough scent he might be able to track him even if he Apparated. _Oh such an opportunity! _

He thanked Thornback and left the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Godric's Hollow Found

Hermione sat in the small attic room that now belonged to Ron alone. He had not shared it with his brothers or anyone else since his brothers left home and he felt very proprietary of it. There was only Ginny left. Ron still preferred his old room rather than moving into one of the vacant ones. There were things that he did not have to share with the others and he staked his claim on the room farthest from his parents.

Hermione was looking at the locket that sat in the velvet lined jewelry box. They had not confided to Remus Lupin or anyone that he had found it.

"It certainly looks like it," she said. "There is the engraved S on the front which is a signature for Salazar Slytherin. We know Harry doesn't have the original and the initials he discovered on the note were RAB. Do you suppose that was Regulus Black? I mean who else could it be but someone in the Black family. Of course, they were all rather villainous."

Ron nodded excitedly. "It has to be, Hermione. Regulus was a Death eater of You-Know Who's and then turned on him." He frowned and added, "He died, a pretty horrible death I would think, no one knows."

Hermione nodded, her stare returning to the box. "You've done really good, Ron. Really, really good." He blushed once again. She had complimented him several times. "Now we just have to find out how to destroy it- OR- find out if the Horcrux inside has already been destroyed."

"How are you going to go about that?" he asked. He suddenly felt very alarmed at the prospect.

"WE Ronald, WE are going to destroy it."

"Oh, right." His freckled face paled noticeably and he felt sweaty and in need of fresh air.

"Don't you see," Hermione said, " Harry's got enough to be dealing with and we have one of them right here. If we can destroy this one then there are only....only," she calculated, "three to go!"

He nodded. "Three."

"The Hufflepuff cup, the snake and...and whatever it was that Voldemort used from Gryffindor or Ravenclaw." She was repeating what Harry had told them and mildly irritated that Ron jumped at her use of the name Voldemort.

"Lupin is going to be really upset that we haven't told him."

"Yes, well...." Hermione shrugged. "He's got a lot to do. Besides we aren't members of the Order and he really can't order us to do anything." She also blushed and Ron knew she was feeling guilty about their secret.

"What if You-Know-Who comes looking for it?" Ron stammered.

"He won't will he?" Hermione snarled. "He left it in the cave, remember? It was taken from there and he won't have a clue as to where it ended up." She shrugged and chewed on a hangnail. "No, this one is definitely one of the better ones to find. He can't trace its' whereabouts."

"Right." Ron nodded solemnly and calmed himself . "You're right."

She frowned at him as if to say, 'Yes, of course I'm right.' "Very well. On to the next step," she announced.

Ron was about to ask what that next step would be when they heard their names being called. Molly Weasley was shouting for them to come down and get their mail and she sounded excited.

They set the jewelry box in the bottom of Ron's cupboard and left the room. She was waiting for them with two envelopes in her hand. "The owls just arrived. They are Hogwarts letters."

"Hogwarts!" Hermione exclaimed and tore hers open. "It worked!. That must mean they are going to reopen it for the new term." She skimmed over the writing just as Ron was starting to read his. "Yes! Yes! They are going to open Hogwarts!"

Ron growled and dropped his on the kitchen table_. No use in reading it, _he thought, if _she's going to read it aloud._

"Anything else dear?" Molly Weasley asked returning to her work at the table. She was making copious notes about Fleure and Bill's wedding and adding suggestions to the arrangements Fleure had already made. She was consulting a French dictionary in attempts to communicate with Fleures' parents.

Next to her sat a pile of papers and a letter from Hogwarts addressed to Ginny. No one had discussed the issue with Mrs. Weasley about Ginny having gone off to Fred and George's and Ron shied away from mentioning it when he saw the unopened mail.

"No. Nothing really, just the usual." Hermione waved a second page that listed the required readings for the term.

"Well, we shall have to talk to your father, Ron. It's so very dangerous to go to Diagon Alley to shop nowadays," Molly said drawing up another piece of parchment next to her to begin a list. "I think new robes absolutely. You've grown so tall you don't even fit into George's or Fred's. You've even outgrown any that belonged to Bill or Charlie." She was writing on her paper and shaking her head. "All the books and probably there will be something else that I'm not thinking of. I have so much on my mind these days."

Neither of Ron or Hermione brought up the subject they discussed in private about not attending Hogwarts if it reopened. Hermione was having the most difficulty in deciding because she wanted to sit for her N.E.W.T.S but realized that what was happening in the world was more important, particularly in helping Harry. And yet, she had campaigned with special vigor during the summer in hopes that it would open.

To avoid the subject Hermione picked up the Daily Prophet that had been delivered to her along with the letter from Hogwarts. "Oh no!"

Ron glanced up at her and frowned. He was eating a cookie and drinking a glass of milk. "What is it? he asked with a mouthful of cookie. Molly stopped and looked up.

Hermione turned the front page slowly around so that they could see the headline: **Voldemort Visits Wizarding Bank.**

Harry was not having any luck in tracing Horace Slughorn. The sugar pineapple delicacy sat in the window display and there were no orders for it, although it was bought in huge amounts by the walk-in customers. He knew that if he could hang onto the job long enough that he might be in luck; plus, he had no where else to go.

He found that staying with the Huxleys' had been a lucky coincidence. Mrs. Huxley was very much like Mrs. Weasley in the way she mothered him; fed him and looked out for him. Harry was amused by Mr. Huxley whose favorite activity in the whole world was making sweets and being left alone. It wasn't that he wasn't pleasant or kind, he just like to make up new recipes for different kinds of candies and experiment. Harry was not surprised that Mrs. Huxley was a big woman, he was sure she had been her husband's guinea pig.

It was all to the better since Harry delivered the candy, handed out some of the 'experiments' to children and spent a minute here or there asking questions. In the meantime, he poured over the _Advanced Potion'_s book in hopes of learning some of the spells hand-written in the margins and concocting some of the potions. With the help of the book, he found as he had done in class, that he was pretty adept at it. He did not, however, want to try out the spells. He knew from experience that the ones written in the margins might be as dangerous or lethal as the Sectumsempra spell and he certainly didn't want to try those on a human being.

He contented himself with the potions and every now and again, just the act of mixing the ingredients would bring to mind Snape. Harry would find himself staring off into space and become inordinately angry and upset.

It had been almost a week and things were going smoothly when he glanced at the Daily Prophet that was stuffed in the slit in the door. The store was not yet open and Harry was assigned the job of sweeping up, watering the jonquils that Mrs. Huxley grew in window boxes and making sure the candy displays were filled and clean. He didn't mind the work and thought, if things had been different, that he might enjoy this kind of life for awhile.

Then he read the headlines and the old anxieties returned. _There he is for all the world to see. Voldemort ! And not a Ministry wizard in sight! _Harry thought._ Not that they would try and stop him, not if he had two of his Death eaters with him. Well maybe not even then if they were wise. _He scanned the article and looked over the rest of the paper. Once again the Daily Prophet was proclaiming that Voldemort was seen in several places at once. Eyewitness accounts placing him at the bank, in Knockturn Alley, even near the Ministry of Magic. Harry growled and started to wad the paper up.

A headline caught his eye. In the lower edge of the paper in a small column hardly noticeable was the notice that Hogwarts was reopening. He skipped the three columns of print about Voldemort and read the few lines about Hogwarts and how it was opening a little later then usual.

_That's good_, he thought. _There are lots of kids like me who would miss out if they didn't get to go to Hogwarts._ _Dumbledore would have liked this, _he decided.

And these thoughts led to remembrances about Ron and Hermione and Harry dropped the paper on the counter for Mr. Huxley, pocketed his wand which he was using to clean up, and left the shop. He didn't want breakfast, he wanted a trip down to the creek where he could sit and watch the butterflies and the fish that hid in dark pools along the bank. For a moment he had felt peace and tranquility. The paper reminded him once more of what was happening in the world and his place in it. The thoughts made him feel frustrated at his lack of progress in finding Slughorn.

"What am I doing here," he asked aloud. "Even if I find Slughorn he probably will just send me away. I can't force him to help me." Then he thought of what he faced and how Slughorn had played a part in it and he grew more determined_. He can help me find Snape or tell me about the Horcruxes. Either way he will help me! _Harry threw a stone into the sparkling running creek at his feet and scared the rather large fish out of hiding.

He returned to the small shop and found Mrs. Huxley bustling around in the kitchen. "No breakfast for me, Mrs. Huxley. I'm not very hungry," Harry said and headed for the shop through a curtained doorway.

"Nonsense," she exclaimed and hurried over with a warm napkin and tucked it into his hand. "Just a bit of jam and butter on a scone. That'll hold you till lunch." She handed him a envelope. "Will you post this for me and there are three deliveries today. Out on the counter." She smiled and turned away and then stopped and turned back. "Oh and say a special thank you to Mr. Birdman. He always buys in large quantities and always give a generous tip." She winked at Harry and went on with her work.

Harry picked up the parcels on his way through the shop. Mr. Huxley was cleaning the window glass on the door and arranging candies. "Morning, Mr. Huxley."

Harry glanced through the addresses on the parcels. Sometimes he needed a broom if the deliveries were outside the village. The first two parcels were a street or two from the shop; it was the third one that caught his eye. Henry Birdman, Number 10, Oak Street, Godric's Hollow.

He stepped back in the shop. "Mr. Huxley!"

The old man's head popped up from behind a jar of chocolate pixies, a new experiment, and raised his eyebrows.

"Where is Godric's Hollow?" Harry asked with growing anticipation_. Have I gotten so near it and didn't know?_ he wondered.

The man scratched his balding head and stared up at the ceiling before shouting back through the curtained door at his back. "Helga! Where is Godric's Hollow?"

The large woman came through the curtain. "Oh yes, that one is hard to find, I should've told you dear. It's not on any map and for a time it was unplottable but I think I can direct you. There was some terrible murders took place there many a year ago and that's where the Boy-Who-Lived was born. T'was his parents that died," she said easily. "The place became famous for that. There was headless man found soon after but it didn't make the papers like the other family. What was their name? Oh, yes... Potter...the Potters. For a time there were people afraid to leave their homes hereabouts, what with You-Know-Who killing and torturing folks." She shivered and her husband repeated the motion.

"Anyway, it's up the road." She pointed in the direction. "It's a little valley and a cluster of homes, not really a village and they are scattered about. It's really a series of valleys each having a name that has Hollow in it; like Poor Man's Hollow, and so on." Mrs. Huxley started polishing the glass cases with her apron as she talked and her husband glared at her. She didn't seem to notice.

"The first little cottage belongs to Elizabeth Higgins. Stop there and she'll guide you further. Mind that you understand that Elizabeth is a little strange but a very nice person. The directions are too complicated for me to tell you. Just tell Beth I told you to stop. Oh, and don't forget that Mr. Birdman always tips when I send him an extra piece of the candied pineapple he loves." Mrs. Huxley nodded reassuringly and exited the room. Mr. Huxley took out his handkerchief and polished the exact same spot his wife had wiped clean.

"Thanks." Harry left the shop in shock. He had not heard ordinary people talk about him and his parents so cavalierly. He consoled himself with the fact that it had been seventeen years before and that he should be surprised she even remembered it. He wondered what Mrs. Huxley would think if she knew he was The Boy-Who-Lived. Still, it was an opportunity to go there with a task instead of as a vagabond and he crossed his fingers hoping that Mr. Birdman would turn out to be Slughorn.

Snape found the dusty book in the sitting room. The little cottage in the Hollow seemed haunted. Everything was covered in dust but it looked like people had been sitting there reading or doing something, and gone away from it suddenly. Open books lay on tables and a coverlet was dropped to the floor, toys were heaped in a basket next to a chair. Snape knew what had happened and yet it felt like the room was still inhabited. He tried to ignore the whole thing as he searched the small library. Actually, it was just a set of shelves that held volumes on magic and witchcraft.

He begrudgingly praised whoever it was that had chosen the volumes; whether it was Lily or....or her husband. He opened the book and nodded to himself. He believed that he was putting the clues together and could now make sense of what had happened to Dumbledore and what had happened at the castle. It was there all along and he had been too dull-witted to realize what was truly going on. Snape perused the volume and strolled through the house, lingering here and there to gaze out a window or to touch some object in the house. He knew it was an invasion of privacy to even be in the house even though the occupants were long since dead. Still, no one had come to pack up the house and there were objects lying about, like the wedding portrait sitting on a table near the nursery and somewhat out of place. Snape ignored it when he realized what it was. He couldn't stand to see it. _Potter hasn't even been here,_ he thought to himself. He was , of course, referring to Harry.

Snape was doubly pleased to discover a pantry of sorts that held magical ingredients for mixing potions. He KNEW that this was Lily's. He allowed his fingers to touch the bottles and the little tins that held wolfsbane, and scarlet trumpet, devil's claw and stag moss. He sat the book down that he was reading and picked up a cauldron. He began to mix ingredients much like one follows a recipe and found great relief and joy from the movement.

Draco wandered out into the garden, glanced back at the house and Apparated.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight The Double

"That's what it is," George said. He was standing in his shop ready to open and arguing with Ginny. "It's the only way to explain it, right Fred? It's the only way he could'a done it."

"The only way," Fred agreed. "Believe me we've done more research since we left Hogwarts then we ever did when we were there. When Dumbledore died and we heard what happened we looked into it."

"If you're right then Harry needs to know," Ginny said thoughtfully. She was helping her brothers out in their shop and enjoyed being away from her mother. She had finally sent her an owl in hopes that she could keep her mother from sending her a howler. Her mother agreed to the arrangement only until Hogwarts opened and then Ginny would be expected to attend. There was no mention of the fact that the three of them had been missing for over a week.

"There's no way to track Harry," Fred responded, "not unless he tells you where he's at or he's seen."

"Too bad our homing devices aren't perfected," George added. "Just attach one of these bugs to the person or an object and they fly back to you and then you can follow them and track them." He held a jar of what looked like fireflies and studied them.

Fred nodded and took the jar. "Only problem is that they have this bloody light that gives them away and it's easy to see when they are attached to you. Then they get swatted and there you are."

Ginny shrugged and said, "Tell me again about Doppelgangers."

"You open up the shop George and I'll fill her in," Fred said. He was arranging merchandise on the glass counters. "It's like this sis; a Doppelganger is a double, an identical replica of a person.....a copy....."

"A Phantom self.....a double," Fred added.

George continued unhindered by his brother's interruption. " It takes a very dark spell to make one. Theory is that if a person is good then his double is evil and vice versus. In some cases it's an exact duplicate of the real person- twins- or it appears to be."

Ginny followed him around the shop and picked things up and placed them back down without really studying them. "So does this double look real?"

George answered, "It's sometimes just a shadow if the spell isn't done right. We found the information under shape-shifting, so it's sort of like that; but not. We think that the person and it's double can look very much alike, very real- solid, you know. That's what we've learned anyway."

Fred continued, "It's still remains attached to the person whose made it. It can't become independent but it can be in a different location then it's owner." Fred frowned at his own words and then shrugged. "Difficult to explain really. Another thing; it's said a doppelganger cannot live on its own if the person who made it dies. That makes sense of course."

"You think Snape did this?" Ginny asked. "Made a double of himself?" She was staring out of the shop window. The streets were bare and there were no early shoppers.

Both Fred and George stopped what they were doing and looked at her. "Or someone else made it," they said together.

Fred dusted off a counter with his wand and replaced items on it. He was nodding as he spoke, "Snape was seen in two places the night of Dumbledore's death."

"The person who told you could have lied," Ginny said wryly.

George nodded and said, "Yeah, we know. We think this eye-witness is reliable."

"Who is it?" Ginny asked.

"Can't say," Fred answered. "Got to protect their identity, don't we? We might need them for a trial or something. Don't want them killed, do we?"

George continued his explanation of doppelgangers where they left off, "There's all kinds of myths about doppelgangers. Some say the person dies if he meets his double face-to-face. Oh, and, it's said that the double casts no shadow. That's how you know who or what it is."

"That's helpful," Ginny said. "Of course on the night that Dumbledore was killed there would have been no moon and so there would have been no shadows." She was talking to herself but out loud. "So does this Doppelganger still exist or does it go away when you want it to?"

"We think it hangs around," both twins said in unison.

"You're saying that Snape's double was sent to kill Dumbledore and his real self was somewhere else?" Ginny asked, frowning.

"Spot on," George said. "If someone had tried to kill his Doppelganger during the fight at Hogwarts they couldn't have succeeded. The spell would have gone through it. It's a...projection....a shadow of the real person. Some say that it may also be a time thing. That it's a projection of a person's future self and so spells can't work on it because its not really in the here and now."

"I don't believe that," Fred said shaking his head. "That's just myth."

"It's hard to tell what's fact or fiction," George agreed. He turned a sign around on the doorway. The lettering said 'closed' so that the front side that was out of view said, 'open'. With one flick of his wand the lights came on all around the room.

"So the Doppelganger mimicks the motions of the person?" Ginny asked. "Say, if I am walking across the room; then my double is doing the same thing."

Both shook their heads and Fred answered. He stood behind a counter and arranged the items under the glass. "Not necessarily. The double doesn't necessarily echo the movement of the person. They can talk and interact and....well....function like a real person."

_Two Snapes_! Ginny thought and grimaced. _It would be hard to tell the difference_.

The three stared at one another. "I've heard that you can walk through one just like you can a ghost," George said softly. "The thing is Ginny, we'd like to blame Snape as much as the next person. We think he's a bloody git!"

Fred nodded and continued, "But he might just be innocent. You-Know-Who could have split Snape into two parts and used the Imperious curse on the Doppelganger and made it kill Dumbledore."

"How can you say that?!" Ginny exclaimed. "Snape is a evil wart......"

The both jumped in. "We KNOW sis. We wanted to believe it, too." Fred said. "This witness was very convincing."

"And this person seemed to think that the real Snape wasn't aware of his double," George said.

"It's the only explanation," they said together.

"What if Harry meets up with this double and thinks it's really Snape?" Ginny asked.

"This double can kill him but he can't kill the double?"

Fred and George nodded sadly.

The bell on the door rang and they all three turned to see the first customer of the day.

Harry spent some time circling the area until he found the little house tucked into the trees. It was in the shadows and the garden was overgrown so that it was effectively camouflaged. He knocked on the door and waited a long time before he heard footsteps.

Elizabeth Higgins was an elderly witch with gray hair, a sweet face and strange dark eyebrows that almost met in the middle. She was hunched over and apparently stricken with arthritis as her hands were knobby like an old tree branch and she walked stiffly.

Harry introduced himself and explained his task. She ushered him into the small cottage and settled him at a kitchen table. She sat out biscuits and tea and bustled about the small room while they talked.

Harry studied the room with its' odd assortment of articles and objects that filled every available space and shelf. In amongst the bits and pieces he noticed items from Hogwarts. He wasn't sure if she had actually gone to school at Hogwarts or had just collected memorabilia.

Like Helga Huxley, Elizabeth Higgins launched into a history of the Hollows, and particularly, into its' lurid past. She not only mentioned his parent's but went into some detail about what happened the night they died. Harry pulled his hair down into his eyes, bent his head over his cup and hoped that she would not see the scar. She rattled on enthusiastically about the subject without really looking at him.

"It was terrible, terrible times," she said, shaking her head. "Those poor people. Brave they were. I understand that they knew You-Know-Who. That he wanted something from them and they wouldn't give it to him. It was said they refused him three times. The last time was their doom. They were killed soon after. Of course, everyone about the Hollows kept themselves locked in and in hiding. It's was 'orrible too see the Dark Mark floating above somebody's house, 'specially when it was your friends. I'd grown to like the Potters. Such nice young folks. As you can see I collect things. That Mrs. Potter, Lily was her name, she brought me things now and again. Things, she thought I'd like." The old woman dusted away at the clutter and rearranged items as she talked. "I'm a bit of an eccentric when it comes to my collections."

Harry's eyes drifted over the objects cluttering the kitchen with renewed interest. _My own mum could have owned one of these, given it to the old woman as a gift_, he thought.

"Not to long before they were murdered she was here sitting in that very chair having a cuppa with me," Mrs. Higgins said. "That's history and it's probably not something you care about knowing. Still, it was a dark time. It seems that we are having another since You-Know-Who returned."

Harry squirmed uneasily_. I should have known the closer I got to Godric's Hollow the more people would remember, _he thought to himself.

The old woman didn't notice his unease but chattered on. It seemed like she wanted to give the history of every object in the room and Harry was impatient to get on his way to Godric's Hollow. He interrupted a long discourse on a trunk that supposedly belonged to a grandnephew of the Horace Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic.

"I'd like to come back and talk to you some more, Mrs. Higgins," Harry said and stood, "but I have a delivery to make and I wanted to stop by Godric's Hollow and visit there."

"You do?" she said, with a serious intent look in her eyes. It's been abandoned for all these years, my boy. I'm not sure the house still stands in the Hollow; the castle does, but not the house."

"The castle?" Harry asked.

"Yes, yes dear. Godric Gryffindor's castle- or the remains of it- up at the end of the valley. Nevertheless, they named the Hollow for it. All of these Hollows are connected to the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, you know. You can't go a mile without stumbling on something connected to it. That's why I have a special collection of things connected to the school." She waved her arm around the sitting room which was also full of objects.

"Of course, I didn't attend," she said, sadly and shook her head. "Just not good enough with magic. I get by, of course, but just. Enough not to be called a squib."

She guided him to the door with a palsied hand on his arm. "I'll point the direction out for you. Mind you don't stay there after dark." She shivered and they stepped out into the sunlight. "I believe that the place is not a welcoming place anymore."

Harry said very little and followed her simple directions which amounted to pointing in a direction and telling him to look out for a row of large oak trees all standing in a line.

"I don't know this Mr. Birdman," she was saying. " I imagine he's new to these parts. But you'll find the house at the end of that row of trees."

"Mrs. Higgins," Harry ventured, "Where is this place, the one that the Potters lived in? Is it near?"

The woman stopped and once again scrutinized him. "It's very near. If you travel up the valley it is the house that sets at the foot of the hill where Gryffindor's castle rests. It's in the shadow of the castle itself."

Harry nodded and thanked her and mounted his broom. He watched her make her way back into the cottage and floated above her house for a moment. He wished he knew the Fidelius Charm so that he could protect her. He wasn't sure he could be her secret-keeper without her consent or knowledge, but he had a sixth sense that was prodding his mind about her. He couldn't lay his finger on what the issue was but he sensed that there was something here that he needed to know.

With a glance back he turned and flew in the direction she had pointed_. One more delivery, _he thought. _This will be Slughorn or it won't but I will soon find out. _Harry didn't give any thought as to why Slughorn would have chosen Godric's Hollow to relocate after Dumbledore's death.

Snape sensed rather than heard the door to the front of the house open and close. He stopped what he was doing and listened. _It's probably Draco moving about_, he thought. However, Snape was not a man to brush things off so lightly. He sat the flask down that he held in his hand and slowly slipped through the kitchen.

One-by-one he examined each room. Draco was gone, that was obvious. Snape chastised himself for not keeping a closer watch and yet he was not sorry to see him leave. He knew Draco would stay hidden. He didn't want the Dark Lord to find him and he certainly wouldn't give up Snape's whereabouts to their master. Draco knew that it was either die by Snape's hand or the Dark Lord's and Draco knew that Snape was angry enough that he would do it.

Snape stood still and sniffed the air. The house was still, empty and yet; not empty. He felt unusually drained of energy and fatigued as if some force was feeding off of him. He pressed himself against the wall and waited. The figure stood in the front lounge; his identical twin. He knew what it was although he would never have expected it in a million years.. The Snape-double stepped in and searched the room with his eyes and then seemed to vanish.

Snape waited for a minute, holding his breath, before he felt safe enough to move. He was dumbfounded_. A Doppelganger_! he thought with horror. _So that is how it was done!_

He knew without question who made it and why it was made. He also finally knew the secret that Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange had concealed from him and he could feel himself grow angrier with each passing minute.

He knew very little about these dark replicas, but knew enough to understand that if they met face-to-face it would almost assuredly be his death. _That's what you wanted wasn't it Lord? _he questioned the empty room in silence. _You used my doppelganger to kill Albus so that I would be blamed because you knew that I would never kill him. Then you set that horrible wraith to find me knowing that I would die or go insane when I encountered it._

All the pieces began falling into place.

Snape folded his arms and leaned against the wall and thought of all the instances in history that he could recall of doppelgangers and what he knew about them. The one he had just seen was very life-like and not a filmy copy; a ghostly counterpart of himself. Therefore, it meant that this double could interact with him, talk to him, even offer advice; although any advice it offered would be misleading or malicious.

He knew that it took very, very dark magic to make it and he would have to find a means to destroy it or it would haunt his footsteps for the rest of his life. All the while, it would be under the Dark Lord's control and always it's misdeeds would be attributed to him. He also knew it would be back, forever searching to make contact with him.

Snape twisted himself away from the wall and went back to the cauldron where he was preparing a potion. This time he was in a very depressed state of mind. The Dark Lord had been very, very clever.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine Lupin's Narrow Escape

Remus Lupin stepped out of Gringott's Wizarding Bank and watched Voldemort Apparate. One of the hooded Death Eaters followed suit, the other turned and walked towards Knockturn Alley. Lupin was pleased with this turn of events and followed him, keeping to the shadows and stalking, as only a part-human, part-animal can do.

He knew the disturbance at the bank would immediately be reported to the Ministry and to the Daily Prophet and he was astounded that Voldemort would even consider coming out in public. _But of course he fears no one now_, Remus thought. He knew that few of the Ministry's Aurors would face the Dark Lord except the likes of someone like Mad Eye Moody. He also knew that if they knew about the Horcruxes no one would even think of challenging him. Even Remus felt awed by that particular problem himself.

He saw that the Dark Lord carried a wrapped parcel with him and Remus once again assumed that it was a Horcrux that he had retrieved from his vault. For some reason Remus watched him handed this parcel off to one of his Death Eaters rather then Apparate with it. That was also curious. _Why not keep in your own possession once you've got it_? he wondered. _It's a bit odd to let it out of your sight_. He contemplated that as he stepped carefully under an awning and into a shop doorway watching the Death Eater making his way through the crowds of witches and wizards.

The furtive figure moved quickly and people shied away as if suddenly faced with a demon. He was not hindered in his speedy journey. Remus followed with less caution. The Death Eater didn't look back or even seem to care that someone might possibly be following him.

Remus was familiar with Knockturn Alley and its' inhabitants. A person like himself- a werewolf- found these types of places more charitable in their dealings with creatures, all kinds of creatures, then other places like Diagon Alley. Here, in this dark, fetid place there were all sorts. They were cruel, deceptive and the worst of humanity in terms of witches and wizards. Remus waved his wand and provided himself with a cloak that he could use to disguise himself, although there were few that were curious enough to look twice at him. He continued tracking.

Outdoor vendors were crowding the street and selling everything from basilisk eggs to vials of black mamba venom. He skirted these and glanced into one of the dusty windows of a shop trying to watch the Death Eater without turning to look directly. The man stopped in front of a pub, hesitated and then stepped in. Remus was about to cross over the cobbled street and go into the dark cave-like doorway when he actually looked through the shop window that he was standing in front of and saw two people talking to the shopkeeper. Two people he expected not to see and certainly did not want to see in these environs; Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley!

_What the devil!_ he cursed under his breath. There was no question about what he needed to do. He could follow the Death Eater or get the two out of Knockturn Alley. He sighed, shook his head and stepped into the cool dim interior of the antique bookstore. They both turned and flushed crimson when he lowered his hood and they recognized him.

The shopkeeper was an old grizzled man who was so thin that he could slip between the narrow aisles of his shelves of books. He was standing behind a selection of books on the counter that Hermione was studying when Remus entered the shop. Without saying anything Lupin acted as if he was expected and stepped up beside Hermione, taking her arm.

She immediately took his cue. "Hello father," she said, still blushing. "I know you said not to come here but we've found the books you've been looking for." She handed him two books that she had purchased. The shopkeeper stepped around the stack on the counter where he could be seen. He still held the money in his hand and with a glance at Lupin disappeared with it into a back room at the end of one of his aisles.

"What are you two doing here?" Lupin hissed, looking first at Hermione and then at Ron.

As always Hermione spoke for the both of them. "Mr. Lupin. We are of age and we can come here if we choose." She spoke firmly but also looked slightly ill-at-ease. There were no other customers in the shop, still it exuded an eerie atmosphere that wasn't conducive to conversation. He glanced around to make sure they weren't being overheard.

"Oh yes?" he grunted and took her arm. He wasn't in the mood for flippancy and was surprised at her attitude. "Let's talk about this as we walk." Ron followed the two of them without saying anything and they left the shop together. Remus glanced over at the pub and sighed. _Such an opportunity, _he thought.

He hurried them through the street and out into the sunshine of Diagon Alley. There he stood facing Hermione who looked every bit as emphatic and resolute as she had in the shop.

Remus knew that Hermione was right, he had no right to chastise either of them. They were both of age and could do anything they chose to do. Yet, he felt responsible, liked them and worried about them. He finally spoke, "I just left Gringott's where the Dark Lord was making a pleasant little visit to his vault." He shifted his weight and once again studied the area around them. The street was almost empty. He continued to speak and moved them into the shadows under the awnings of the shop. _It wouldn't do to be recognized so soon after Voldemort's visit,_ he thought.

"He had two Death Eaters with him and I was following one into Knockturn Alley when I happened to see you. I would have thought that you understood how dangerous it is to be out and about these days; especially there!" He nodded towards the intersecting street.

Both of them stared at him wide-eyed and then looked at each other. Hermione spoke again, "Mr. Lupin....I..."

He cut across her before she could continue, "I am currently staying at Number twelve Grimmauld Place until term begins..."

"Are you teaching again," Ron asked excitedly, interrupting him. "Will you be at Hogwarts this year?"

Remus nodded quickly and returned to the point, "Let's Apparate to Grimmauld Place so our conversation can't be overheard."

They agreed and followed him when he disappeared off the street. What he could not have known was the look of anger on the Death Eater's face who remained behind. H e watched Lupin disappear. The Dark Lord had hoped that someone would be aware of his trip to Gringott's. He hoped to capture one and 'consult' with them about the whereabouts of the Potter boy. The trap that was hastily improvised to capture that person was now useless. _Oh, what a treat it would have been to acquire Lupin, _the wizard thought. Then feeling slightly frightened at the prospect, the Death Eater Apparated to give to his master the news.

The three of them settled into the gloomy sitting room at the house having tiptoed past the portrait of Mrs. Black that was shrouded in the hallway. Lupin stood in front of the cold hearth, arms crossed and said, " I don't have the right to tell either of you what to do, although I think your father would be very upset to know that you are out and about without protection." He looked directly at Ron. " I don't know your parents Hermione but I think they would be worried that you put yourself at risk even if they don't know the details."

"We had important business and weighed the risks, Mr. Lupin," Hermione responded.

"Please call me, Remus," he said softly. "I think we know each other well enough to be on a first name basis." He frowned and relaxed his posture. "Pray continue.....tell me what important business would take you to Knockturn Alley especially in times like these."

She shrugged and held the two books to her chest and answered, "Yes, well, Harry trusts Ron and me with information and I wouldn't feel right about sharing it with you without asking his permission first. I know that he trusts you but I just can't.... I can't ask his permission because he's not to be found."

"I think it might be a good idea if we treat each other like allies," Remus said unexpectedly and with some irritability. "I am willing to share information if you are." He stopped and studied their faces and then went on, " For instance; I am aware of what Harry and Dumbledore were doing the night that Dumbledore died. They were on a quest to retrieve an object." He waited and watched her face and then glanced at Ron. He wasn't sure they knew about the Horcruxes. But if Harry knew, there was a good chance he had confided in his friends.

Lupin waited and neither Hermione or Ron spoke. He finally strolled over and gently lifted the two books out of her hands and read the titles. He opened one and glanced at the table of contents and then did the same to the other. _So you do know about the Horcruxes_, he thought.

With another heavy sigh he handed them back to her. "I confess I am sorry that you are aware of what Harry and Dumbledore were doing or that Harry was even involved," he murmured. "Unfortunately, they were searching for a Horcrux weren't they Hermione?"

They both stared at him and then turned to one another and agreed on something without speaking. Hermione spoke for both of them, "Mr. Lup....Remus, we have one," she said, leaning in.

"One...one what....?" Remus was confused for a moment and then it dawned on him "You have a Horcrux?!"

They both nodded and Hermione continued, "I found the shop that sold these books and I won't tell you how," she said glancing at the two she held. "But I thought we could read up on Horcruxes and see if we could find a way to destroy them or at least know more about them; how they are made and so on." She dropped the books on the table before her looking almost relieved at being able to let them go. "It seemed a place to start."

Lupin frowned again and said, "I understand what you're saying Hermione, but that store sells only books on the dark arts and I'm sure the proprietor will be most happy to pass on information that he saw the two of you there- and- what sort of merchandise you purchased." He dropped into a chair and covered his eyes with one hand as if a headache was pounding in his brain. "How do you know you have one?" he asked, finally. "A Horcrux, that is? How do you know?"

Ron told him how he had discovered it in Kreacher's nest.

"Kreacher?!" Lupin gasped, glancing up to stare at him and then nodded. _Oh yes_, he thought, _that's quite possible! Kreacher is always hoarding things in this house. Sirius always hated that house elf and his undying loyalty to the Black family. I am so glad they are dead! _Remus rubbed at his face and stared at the room, not really seeing it, but seeing the past, all of the painful past.

"Still if it's true that you have one of His Horcruxes; a real one. What you have is very dangerous, if not deadly," he said, thoughtfully.

Hermione nodded and said, "We know, but Harry can't fight Voldemort if these Horcruxes still exist. They all must be found and destroyed!"

"We know what they do," Ron added. "The diary possessed my little sister Ginny, didn't it? I don't know why it didn't do the same thing to Harry but You-Know-Who..." he stopped and grimaced as Hermione huffed at him, "came out of the diary and sent the basilisk out into the school to kill people. Harry said that the Tom Riddle that came out of the diary was very real, drawing his energy off my sis. He said that Tom Riddle gloated about regaining his body even when it meant my sister would die so he could do it."

Hermione listened and nodded in agreement, adding, "Harry seemed to think that Dumbledore destroyed a ring which was the reason his hand was so badly injured this last year. And then there is the locket that they retrieved from the cave....you know about that one?"

Remus nodded and confessed, "Dumbledore's stored memories in the Pensieve which I watched." He blushed and it gave a slightly pink tone to his pale face. "It's not something I would ordinarily do, mind you. Anyway, the memories were not clear but suggested that there was a locket that belonged to Vol...." he glanced at Ron and continued, "....to Tom Riddle's mother. I assume that he and Harry went after that locket."

"But it was a fake." Hermione said quickly. "Harry told us that the real locket was replaced and a note was left inside signed with the initials RAB."

Remus studied her his eyes glittered as she spoke.

"So I figured it was Regulus Black who wrote it and came here to search the house," Ron continued. "We think that this locket is the real thing. We just don't know if it still has a Horcrux in it or not. The note that was left behind said that R.A.B. was going to destroy it even if he died doing it."

"So we need to find out how to tell if there is a Horcrux in it or not," Hermione concluded.

Lupin rubbed his cheek and rested his head on his hand, feeling weary. He was impressed and surprised by their ingenuity. " I wouldn't have you reading anything like that, " he said glancing at the books on the table, '"under normal circumstances..... but given the situation..." He sighed again and added, "Well, I trust in your skills Hermione..... and Ron. I can't very well forbid you from doing it."

"No, you can't," Hermione replied firmly. She stopped and the relaxed a little. "Although, I would like your supervision."

They sat staring at one another for a full minute.

"I might as well tell you," she began and glanced at Ron for a second, " I sent for Viktor Krum. He arrived a week ago. I set him the task of finding Igor Karkaroff."

"Krum?!" Ron gasped. She ignored his outburst and focused on Lupin.

"I thought he might be able to find Karkaroff. He was, after all, a Death Eater. I thought he might tell us where Snape was, or be willing to help. He didn't want anything to do with his old master and we might be able to persuade him to help our side."

Remus stared at her in fascination . The thought of pursuing a Death Eater like Karkaroff had not occurred to him. "And were you successful?" he asked.

"I haven't heard from Viktor yet," she answered. "He's gone off and he's not sent an owl. I'm sure he will soon."

"Viktor? Krum?" Ron repeated, looking very upset.

Remus jumped in. "You were going to go after Snape, too?" he asked with amazement.

She looked a little sheepish and upset by Ron's obvious distress. "Look, you know about the Prophecy from looking into Dumbledore's Pensieve, don't you?"

Lupin nodded.

"So you know what Harry faces, " she went on. "Harry sent us each a letter saying that he had to go it alone because he didn't want us to get hurt. But that just isn't fair. He can't go it alone!" She was now on her feet and speaking down to him. "He needs our help! So I have...we have been trying to do that."

Lupin stood slowly, reaching over and grasping her arms and looking down into her face, speaking softly, "We are all working on the same goals, Hermione. Let's try doing some things together; join forces. We...I... won't stand in your way,. But I hope you'll listen to some sage advice from wizards that have some experience. The Order of the Phoenix hasn't dissolved. We have lost our leader but we still have a fight ahead of us and I think that Snape should probably be left to me. I believe that I want him as badly as Harry does if not more. Do you understand?" He waited until they both nodded in agreement. "Harry would not want to have you put yourselves in so much danger. The Dark Lord is well aware of your friendship to him."

Ron paled and stared at the floor. Hermione was looking up at him with her deep warm brown eyes and said softly, "We know the danger. We were at the Ministry right along side Harry. Don't you understand that he is always stronger if he has us at his side. Alone.....well," she dropped her head and Lupin could see the tears developing. She continued, "He's in terrible danger, why should we be so concerned about ourselves? Voldemort doesn't care about us, he just wants Harry. I, for one, will not let him stand alone until Voldemort is dead or I am!"

Lupin still held her arms and gave her a little shake, enough to have her raise her head. "If you were to be taken it would be an added burden to Harry. So I want you to take care, be cautious, and don't take unwarranted risks. If you need me then call for me. That's all I will say about that." He turned away as he spoke, " I'll send Tonks into Knockturn Alley to find out what she can about the Death Eater I followed. We can't seem to find Harry which might be a good thing or might not. At least Voldemort is not gloating in public that he's killed him."

Lupin walked to the window and pulled aside the curtain to stare out into the street. He felt a sharp pang of worry. He wasn't willing to admit the depth of his feelings about Harry. There were too many other worries to consider without assuming that something was wrong with the boy. He circled the room and then rounded on them. "Can I have a look at that locket?"

Ron left the room and returned with the jewelry box in his hand.

Remus didn't touch it when he opened the box and sat it on a table. He held a hand over it as if testing the air and then sat back and studied it.

Hermione joined him on the couch and commented, "Ron was right. Ginny was possessed by the diary. I think that he uses these- the Horcruxes- as windows. Whoever touches one becomes a conduit for him. He uses the person and we would never know that they were being used. At least, we never knew that he was possessing Ginny."

Lupin nodded, staring at it. "You very well may be right about that."

"Harry didn't get possessed." Ron reminded them. "He destroyed the diary and the basilisk. Maybe he's the only one that can touch them without getting possessed....because.... he has that connection with You-Know-Who."

Lupin and Hermione stared at him and Lupin glanced at the box again. "There's always been speculation about Harry's scar and about why he didn't die the night his parents were murdered. Dumbledore seemed to think that Harry had some unusual talents that were transmitted to him that night." Lupin was thinking about how quickly Harry had learned the Patronus Charm from him. "It would be nice to know where he is. That would be one less worry."

"You know I've given that some thought, too," Hermione mumbled. Lupin looked over at her and she once again spoke up. "I think he went to Godric's Hollow."

"Godric's Hollow?!" Remus repeated in surprise. Ron stared at her and then nodded in agreement.

"He doesn't have a home," Hermione went on. "He's never seen his real home and I think that if he needed a place to hide that might be it. He never knew his parents and he might want to visit.... well.... ." She paused for a minute and then finished, " He never said but I think that when he lost Dumbledore he felt like he lost the only person that could help him fight Voldemort. It was a savage blow and...and... I think he lost hope."

There were the tears again. Lupin nodded in sympathy while she continued, " I just think that's what I would do if I were him."

Lupin saw the worry and sadness in their faces and knew in his heart what it felt like. After all he'd experienced the same thing with his own friends; with Lily and James and Sirius, and even Peter. He knew that he could trust her intuitiveness. It seemed that the act of loving someone always formed a magical bond. He had known that bond himself. However, it distressed him to think that she might be right. "He knows nothing of the wizarding world, Hermione," he groaned in response. "How would he even know how to find it?"

She shrugged and glanced down at the Horcrux again.

Remus let his gaze rise to the ceiling in frustration. _What can he find there_? he wondered. _Ghosts? _

His mind wandered as if in a dream. He could see her-Lily- sitting on the grassy banks of the lake on the boat dock. Her feet were in the water and her head was tilted back like a flower seeking the sun. Remus smiled inwardly as he saw James doing back flips off the end and acting like a clown to amuse his new wife. The day was a sunny day and warm and none of them could have foreseen, at least did not have the ability to see, into the future.

"Remus! Remus," James called as his head broke the surface of the still lake.

Remus had stopped at the cottage and then gone around to the back garden and took a stroll to the lake to find them. He was surprised that Sirius was not around. It seemed like one of them always was there.

"I'm here," he replied, laughing and walking slowly down the long narrow dock.

Remus could see in his mind each detail, as Lily opened her eyes and looked at him. She smiled and jumped to her feet and walked to him and kissed him, clinging to his neck. "Let's make James jealous, shall we?"

"Love to deary," he replied and tucked his head into her neck as if in an intimate embrace.

"Ho there you two," James called out and launched himself out of the water to the walkway. "Hands off my woman!"

Lily giggled and finally turned Lupin lose. He could still smell the freshness of her hair and the scent of a perfume.

James joined them and the three wrapped arms around one another and strolled to the end of the dock to look out over the lake and watch the fish jump for flies.

"Shall we tell him," Lily asked her husband.

James grinned and nodded.

Lily grasped Remus' hand and put it on her belly. "We are going to have a surprise."

Remus stared into the deep green pools of her eyes and saw the light in her face. "A baby?" he asked with hesitation. "Are you pregnant Lily?"

She grinned and James grinned and the whole thing was catching. Remus began to smile and the hugged each of them in turn. "Wonderful news, wonderful!"

And yet , he did not feel happy. The man who had taken to calling himself Lord Voldemort was too interested in his friends. There were rumors that he was killing people or having them killed by his Death Eaters. This was a dangerous time.

Remus finally opened his eyes to the sitting room at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place and saw Ron and Hermione staring at him. "Well there's only one way to find out if he's at Godric's Hollow," he said finally. "I'll go and see if he's there." He wondered if he would have the courage to return to a place that had caused him so much pain.

"If we go with you he might be willing to come back here with us," Ron suggested. "You can protect him better. He might even go back to Hogwarts with us. We weren't going to go back, but if you're there and we all return we can work on this thing there." He pointed at the box with the locket

Remus thought it over_. It really would be easier to protect him at Hogwarts. Now that we know the weakness in the school, we can almost make it impenetrable_. "Let me take care of some business first and we'll go this afternoon. Does your mother know where you are Ron?"

The boy shook his head and cringed. Remus almost laughed out loud, Molly Weasley was a formidable woman and he thought it might be rather difficult to be one of her children. She was ferociously protective. "Right then. I'll send an owl to her this afternoon. In the meantime....." he picked up a book and opened it to make sure there was no dark charm on it that might poison them or hex them just for reading it. "You can start on these."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten The Hunted

Harry found the house easily enough just where Mrs. Higgins said it would be. It was a plush area and the house could almost be called an estate. It was a two story manor surrounded by well-kept gardens with tall hedges. Harry felt uneasy walking up the lane with the hedges on each side. They were familiar; it was too much like the hedges in the Triwizard tournament.

He knocked on the door using the big clapper in the shape of a lion's head. He thought that perhaps Slughorn might be in disguise or use a disguise as he did before, something in the shape of a chair. Harry was prepared to use a stinging charm on every piece of furniture in the place to prove to himself Slughorn wasn't there. Instead of going to all that trouble, he hoped that the man would show himself at the door. In case he did, Harry pulled the cap down on his forehead, stuck his hands in his pockets with the parcel tucked under one arm and tried to look shiftless and bored.

He was altogether surprised when a man didn't appear. Instead a house elf opened the door and announced, "The mistress of the house is not at home. What can we do for you?" This house elf was dressed in a tidy tea cozy with the initials MLM embroidered on it.

Harry nodded and said, "I've brought a parcel from the shop addressed to this 'ouse to Mr. Birdman." He held out the package as if reading the label and tried to use a heavy accent to disguise his voice. "I'm to deliver it straight into 'is 'ands, not to any elf." His tone was derisive.

The elf's eyes narrowed and he shook his head. "He's not at home!"

"Right then," Harry responded. "I'll just bring it back to 'im some other time." He turned to leave with the package tucked back under one arm and started to throw a leg over one of the shop brooms, an ancient Cannon 200 that he borrowed. He knew that a poor boy riding a Firebolt would almost immediately look suspicious. He was about to launch himself into the air when Slughorn's voice erupted from behind the door.

"Nonsense, silly elf. I am at home!" He peered around the edge of the door with the elf shielding the lower half of his body and squinted to see Harry's face. Harry tucked it down and turned away to give himself an advantage.

Slughorn stepped out. "I am here boy. I see you have my parcel. Good. Good!" He waited and Harry didn't move. " I am Mr. Birdman. I have placed the order with Mrs. Huxley.'' Harry stepped off the broom but didn't hand the parcel over. "Oh, I see. You are wanting a tip," Slughorn chuckled. "Mrs. Huxley always looks out for her delivery boys. Just a minute then. Darby you can go back to the kitchens, I will handle this."

Slughorn reached into his overly large pants and dug around in his pocket. It gave Harry time to remove his wand, turn and level it at the man's face before he looked up. Slughorn was counting change in his hand, "Here's two galleon for the sweet and a couple of silver sickles; no more, not a knut more. That woman will bankrupt me!" He glanced up with a broad smile and saw the wand pointed into his face and the smile faded. His eyes drifted up slowly to scan Harry's face. "Harry." There was a deadness to the word.

Harry jabbed at him urging him to step back into the house and he followed him while quickly checking around them. He closed the door with his foot and shoved the hat back.

"Yes, Professor," Harry began, "Or should I just call you Slughorn since you never meant to return to Hogwarts."

"What....what do you want?" the man gasped. "It's very dangerous for you to be around here, Harry. How did you find me?" He shook his head and his jowls trembled. He glanced at the package Harry was handing him. "Oh, I see, the sweets gave me away. Always knew my habits would catch me up someday. Better you then....then You-Know-Who." He looked up again and smiled tentatively.

Harry didn't return the smile and remained silent.

"You know Harry you can't blame me for leaving Hogwarts after Albus was killed," he mumbled. "You-Know-Who would like to find me if he could. I'd be next you know?"

Harry leaned against a table in the foyer and studied the corpulent man. He continued to remain silent and it made Slughorn even more nervous. "It didn't take a genius to know what happened, Harry. After I gave you the memory about the....the..."

"Horcruxes," Harry finished.

Slughorn looked up with terror written in his face. "Yes, yes....those. But we shouldn't really talk so loudly. There are only house elves here but somehow things like this get out you know."

"That's why I've come," Harry said nonchalantly. "I've come to talk to you about Horcruxes." He said the word very plainly once again and watched Slughorn wince. "You knew what Dumbledore was doing didn't you? You knew why he hired you to teach at Hogwarts?"

Horace Slughorn rubbed his hands together as if washing them and then started towards a door in the hallway. Harry immediately stuck his wand into the man's fat neck." Move when I tell you to move, or you'll find yourself in a great deal of pain."

"Harry, Harry," he cried with his hands in the air like a common muggle robber. "I just thought we should go to the lounge and have some tea and talk about this."

"I don't trust you," Harry growled. "I'm not the Harry Potter you knew at Hogwarts."

Slughorn nodded vigorously. "Yes. Yes, I understand. Dumbledore's death affected everyone. I can understand...."

"You understand nothing!" Harry hissed in the man's ear and then pushed him forward. "Let's have a spot of tea and chat a little then," he said sarcastically. He walked behind him and entered a large well-appointed room. Some of the furniture was out-of-date but had been very rich in its' time. "Whose house is this?"

"Oh, uh, it's Minerva McGonagall's. She rarely comes here preferring to stay at Hogwarts; well she does now," he answered in a conversational manner, although the fear lay just under the surface and Harry could hear it. "It's an ancestral home. Minerva is a Gryffindor through and through. Probably related to THE Gryffindor in some way, who knows."

Harry nodded as Slughorn dropped into a chair.

"You're right about me Harry. I did leave Hogwarts never to return. And I will leave this house very soon. I intend to leave the country."

"Coward," Harry said quietly.

Slughorn winced again. He was sitting wiping sweat from his brow with an embroidered handkerchief, once again with the initials MLM on it.

"You're a freeloader and a coward," Harry said and took a seat. "But I don't care about that. When you've told me what you know about Horcruxes then I'll go away and you can go to the moon for all I care." Harry was feeling every bit as angry as he sounded and somehow the fingers that held the wand itched to make a slight wave and send the fat monkey head over heels.

"You can't expect me to tell you!" Horace Slughorn said. His eyes were shifting around the room as if looking for an escape.

Harry remained calm but alert. "Voldemort made seven Horcruxes."'

Slughorn turned the shade of new-fallen snow and stopped twiddling his fingers and shifting in his chair. His pale blue eyes steadied themselves on Harry. "You can't be serious."

Harry nodded and leaned forward to emphasize his words. "I am. Why should it surprise you? Tom Riddle asked you what would happen if you split the soul into pieces."

"Yes, but I didn't think...never thought he would do it. I thought I was clear that it would be a horrible, terrible thing to do!" Slughorn stammered and began to sweat even more.

They sat in silence, Harry waiting for the whole thing to sink in. He watched the man staring off into space for a minute before he interrupted. " You knew all of these years that your prize student had turned out badly. You, better then anyone, understood how brilliant he was and how- if he turned to the dark arts- how dangerous he could become and you did nothing about it. You didn't lift a finger to help. You left it all to Dumbledore to take care of." Harry spit the words out and had to stop and take a breath to calm himself before continuing. "It seems that you know something about Horcruxes and so I've come to get your help. Dumbledore is gone and it's partly your fault, Voldemort is partly your fault. Before you leave the country you are going to take some responsibility and help me by telling me how to destroy them."

Slughorn was shaking his head even before Harry finished. "I can't!"

"You will or the new Minister of Magic will receive an owl outlining in detail how you helped Lord Voldemort. I think you'd find yourself in Azkaban before the day was out and probably without your favorite sweets to console you." Harry threw the package at him and hit him in the face. Slughorn shied away from it and stared at Harry in horror.

"You wouldn't Harry.... I...I....really liked you. Thought you were a talent....liked your mother...." He stuttered for a moment and then was silent.

Harry stood and walked slowly over to the man and looked down into the sweating red face. "You're a despicable human being. You use people and hurt people for your own convenience and comfort and it doesn't seem to have any effect on you; you don't seem to care how your actions affect others. Lord Voldemort is almost immortal now. He will ravage this land and kill every half-blood and muggle born in it. He'll devour all the goodness in the world like you eat that ...pineapple and he won't stop. He'll be greedy and want more and more. If you don't help me, then it will be on your conscience and if it's the last thing I do I will let someone know that you designed and engineered a plan to put Lord Voldemort into power. I'll lie until I can't take a breath anymore if that's what it will take to put you away!"

Slughorn looked into his face and Harry could read his fear. There was some hesitation and then Slughorn slowly nodded. "If I help you, will you let me go?" he asked, his voice quivering. "You won't kill me?"

Harry studied the wand in his hand and let Slughorn sweat it out for a minute longer, before saying, "No, I won't kill you unless you lie to me. If what you tell me doesn't work then I'll hunt you down and kill you."

Lupin returned to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place and found a note tucked under a vase in the sitting room. It was in Hermione's handwriting.

_Dear Remus,_

_Viktor has returned and sent a note to meet him at the Leaky Cauldron. Ron is coming with me. Join us if you can and please, please don't leave without us._

_Hermione_

Lupin waved his wand over the note and shredded the paper into a fine dust. He glanced around the room looking for the box that held the locket, not expecting to find it. They were experienced enough to hide it.

It was already getting late in the afternoon and he wanted to get them back safely before dark. He also wanted to get away. The full moon was almost upon him and he could feel the feral urges rising up. They would overpower him soon. He would be turning and he couldn't be near them.

Although, he had been transforming into a werewolf since childhood, he never failed to feel deep despair at this time. This time, in particular, was inconvenient. The Order needed him and he needed to find Harry.

"With luck, I'll find him today," he said to the empty room and then left.

Lupin found them at the Leaky Cauldron and he was mildly surprised by the situation that confronted him. Ron was standing in the middle of the room pointing his wand at Viktor Krum who, in turn, faced him pointing his own wand. They appeared to be about to duel. Hermione was red-faced and standing between them directly in the line of fire and speaking to Ron and there was a row of wizards and witches watching the whole spectacle.

"You're jealous! You've never given me a reason not to see other people, Ronald Weasley. You just can't seem to find the nerve to speak your mind. And for your information, Viktor and I are friends. That's all!"

Lupin glanced at Viktor Krum who was watching Hermione. Krum didn't have the look of fury that was on Ron's face but he wasn't happy either. It looked to Lupin like Krum was of a different mind about his and Hermione's relationship which was confirmed a moment later.

"I have asked you to marry me," Krum said, bluntly. "We are not just friends."

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked back at him and then saw Lupin, giving him an imploring look. He gave her a pitiful shrug and opened his hands, palms out as if to say, 'what would you have me do?'.

"See! See!" Ron said, stridently. "You're not just friends! He's asked you to MARRY him, Hermione. Are you going to?"

Hermione shook her head and walked away from both of them and towards Lupin.

He glanced down at her when she reached his side. "Men!" she exclaimed. "How many times do I have to say it; I won't marry Krum and Ron is an idiot!"

Lupin stifled a smile and pulled out a chair at a table and went over to Ron. He raised an arm to Viktor indicating he should lower his wand. In a few minutes the three were talking in low voices and the rest of the people in the pub were bored and wandering away or returning to their conversations.

Lupin finally managed to convince the two young men to join him at the table with Hermione. "This is hardly the way to avoid drawing attention to yourselves," he chided. "We have more important things to consider. How many times must I say that these are dangerous times? There are spies everywhere and you two....," he glanced at Ron who was staring at the table looking livid with anger, and then at who Hermione was sitting quietly looking back at him, and continued, "You two are well known." Remus turned to Viktor.

Viktor was looking at Hermione and was very grim-faced.

"I should say...the three of you are well known. Now, Viktor," Remus began, "Hermione said she asked you to find Igor Karkaroff. Did you?"

"He is dead," Viktor said in his heavy Russian accent. "He was not in Bulgaria. He fled to Romania but I found him. He was dead." Viktor looked at Remus with his typical brooding dower expression. "Torn apart."

"Torn apart?" Remus repeated. The young man nodded.

"He was no good anyway. He was bad wizard and he would not have helped you 'ermione." Krum said, once again staring at Hermione.

Hermione flushed and continued to stare at her hands that were thrust out on the table. She was spinning a flower in her fingers like an umbrella.

"I see," Remus said sitting back. "I'm not sure if that is good or bad news, but thank you for helping. Now, we have a short journey ahead of us and I have to insist we leave soon. I want to get there and back before dark."

Hermione's warm brown eyes looked up and into his. He saw her thinking very hard and guessed that she was questioning the urgency or had guessed and was calculating the moon phases. She turned to Krum and said very sweetly, "Yes. Thank you, Viktor. You've been very helpful. I will write to you soon and let you know what happens." She stood and waited for him to follow suit. He did, leaning in to whisper in her ear and then he gave a stiff jerky bow to Remus that was almost a salute and left.

Ron glowered at her and remained silent.

"Perhaps I should go it alone," Remus suggested. "It look like you two need to stay and work some things out."

"No!" Hermione said and reached over and pulled Ron off the chair by his shirt. "We're going."

Remus just nodded and headed out the door. His immediate reaction to the whole thing was to recall a similar time many years before when he watched a headstrong girl by the name of Lily almost in the same position- standing between James Potter and Severus Snape- discussing almost the same issue. It brought a pang of sorrow to his heart and the amusement he felt a moment before faded away.

Snape wrapped his belongings carefully and tucked them into a traveling valise. It was growing late in the afternoon and he had made up his mind that he needed to keep on the move; first to avoid his doppelganger, and secondly, to avoid Lord Voldemort, which would be even more of a challenge.

He did not instinctively feel or have the ability to sense Harry's presence. Nor would he have guessed that Harry Potter would ever show up at this dilapidated house. Few people could find it, if not led to it directly, and even fewer would want to come to it if they knew where it was. The area had acquired a reputation since the murders of the Potters and few people wanted to be near it. Besides that, there was also the rather strange reputation that the Gryffindor castle had acquired over the centuries.

Snape knew about the Bermuda triangle in the muggle world. Anything that was considered out of the ordinary or mystical by muggles generally was the result of witchcraft or wizardry. Snape knew that the Bermuda triangle was not one of them; it was a mystery to them all. In the same sense, Gryffindor castle was like the Bermuda Triangle. Strange things occurred there; mysterious disappearances, wizards ending up dead from no apparent cause and so on. And like the muggle mystery, Gryffindor also had remained a mystery.

Snape assumed that the Potter's abandoned house was as safe a place as anywhere to hide. What he didn't count on was Harry Potter's strong muggle history. Harry knew nothing of the reputation of Godric's Hollow, other then that was where his parents died; and absolutely nothing of Godric's Gryffindor's castle.

Snape was standing in the foyer, his valise sitting on the floor at his feet and he was checking his pockets and looking over the room to see if he had sufficiently hidden his trail. The room looked exactly as it had when he'd broken in. Dust lay thick on the floors, gauzy cobwebs filled every corner and covered shelves. Objects that were left suddenly by their owners, like open books, were once again in their places.

He opened his watch, checked the time and looked up. Standing in the doorway, wand pointed at him, was a young man. He was dressed in old fashion clothing, wearing a hat pulled down and shading his face. An ancient pair of pince-nez was perched on his nose.

It would have taken Snape just a second longer to recognize Harry Potter if it weren't for the green eyes that stared back at him. Those were Lily's eyes.

He raised his hands, his watch still dangling from one, and waited for the killing curse. There was no doubt in Snape's mind that the look in Potter's face was murderous. And yet, the boy hesitated.

"Potter."

Harry was looking at him and was glancing just off to his left, his expression changed to one of puzzlement.

Snape knew exactly what was happening and spoke calmly. "What you see Mr. Potter is what they call a doppelganger. It means double." He said it very carefully, remaining perfectly still. He did not follow Harry's gaze to turn and look at it himself. If he did, then the contact would be made and seal his fate. As long as he didn't look at it, it could not attach itself to him.

Snape continued, "You must decide which one of us is the real thing or kill us both. In the split second it takes for you to kill one; the other will kill you." Snape wasn't sure that was true. He was fast, very fast. He could reach for his wand and throw a curse much more quickly then the average wizard, and he was deadly in his aim. But he also was not foolish enough or stupid enough to underestimate people; even Harry Potter.

"You evil.....gutless.... sniveling worm; standing in my parent's house. Awfully arrogant of you to be here isn't it, since you are responsible for their deaths?" Harry said contemptuously. His wand was steady in his hand and pointed directly at the real Snape.

He continued and his voice was steady, but filled with venom "You also killed Dumbledore. You didn't even show mercy when he begged for it. Surprised, that I would know that? I was there Snape! I was under an invisibility cloak frozen to the wall. I saw you kill him with my own eyes. All this time you have been a traitor. Why Dumbledore believed in you is beyond me."

Snape lowered one hand slightly and was surprised when the stinging spell shot out of Harry's wand and shot through his hand. The boy had not spoken the incantation or even moved.

"You are becoming quite adept at nonverbal spells it seems," Snape said. The wound hurt but he did not show it on his face. He had suffered injuries many times before and learned to ignore them.

"Wasn't that the last thing you shouted at me as you ran away?" Harry snarled. "You were quick to point out how clumsy and stupid I was. Well I've learned a little over the summer."

Snape watched the eyes. He could always read people and he saw the murderous intent there. Potter was going to kill him. The fact that he was still talking and hadn't actually done it yet gave him a little hope.

"I wasn't there Potter. The person you saw was him," he nodded towards the duplicate that was supposed to be standing at his side.

Potter's eyes roamed to a spot just a little to his left. "What do you have to say?"

Snape heard the voice and it sounded exactly like him.

"Believe what you want Potter, but I didn't kill Dumbledore."

"Where's Draco?" Harry asked. The eyes moved around the room, taking it in at a glance.

"He was brought to me that night. I was to take care of him but he has run away," the other Snape said. "It was probably a wise thing to do. His father is out of Azkaban and he will hunt him down and probably kill him, if one of you doesn't."

Snape saw the boy questioning himself, hesitating. Maybe he half-believed that he was innocent. Maybe it wouldn't make a difference and he'd kill him anyway. Snape spoke up before the other could continue, "What would it take for you to believe that I am the real person and it was my double who murdered Albus?"

Harry glared at him and then at the other. "What is a doppelganger?"

Snape explained.

"That doesn't mean you're innocent!" Harry retorted. "Whichever one of you didn't do it, you're still a traitor."

"On the contrary, Mr. Potter. To be fair, I have never been disloyal to Dumbledore or the Order. Would you kill an innocent man?" the duplicate asked.

"I'll say it again, Potter," the real Snape said. "What will it take for you to believe? My double does not share all my memories. He knows enough to fool most people. Will he make a fool of you?"

Daylight was now shining brightly through the windows which meant that dusk was coming. The sun was going down and the light would turn the color of honey, then orange and then the color of blood and night would set in.

Harry Potter stood in the doorway and his aim did not falter. "When you were teaching me occlumency..."

The double interrupted, "You looked in the Pensieve and saw me when I was young..."

The real Snape cut across the Double, "and I was with my father. He was beating me."

Harry nodded wide-eyed.

"That story will not convince you," Snape said. "My Double also has that memory. It must be something that happened a long time ago." Snape emphasized the words hoping that Potter would understand that he needed to ask about something else. Snape knew Harry knew about his childhood at Hogwarts. "Pick another event."

Harry frowned. There was a pause and he looked at Snape. "I learned that the real Snape had a sweetheart when he was young. He loved her. Who did he love?"

Snape was taken off guard. _No one knows about this; no one! _

He remembered the day as if he could reach out and taste it and touch it. Lily was on the dock. Snape had watched from the cover of a tree away from the house. He waited until Potter and Lupin walked away and left her alone, basking in the sun. He walked softly without making noise and yet she turned her head and smiled at him before he even reached the dock.

"Come on Severus," she said encouraging him. "Come and sit and talk to me." He turned and looked at the house where James and Remus had gone and then back to her. She waved to him and said, 'They won't be back for awhile. Come. I want to talk to you about something."

Snape now stood in her empty house and the moment faded. He was looking into the green eyes of her son and not hers and there was a bitter taste in his mouth. He forced himself to speak. "I loved your mother, Lily Evans."

Harry turned his wand and immediately shot the killing spell at Snape's double. Snape, however, knew that it was not enough to kill it, but he also knew that it was now gone. It had disappeared once again like it had earlier in the day. Harry lowered his wand slightly and turned once again to him. "This doesn't mean I don't hate you."

Snape nodded and lowered his hands.

At the same time three figures appeared on the front lawn. Lupin cautioned the others to follow behind and he entered the house. For the second time in the day he saw two men facing one another, with the exception that Snape was unarmed.

He raised his wand as he stepped in beside Harry and the boy immediately pulled it down with his hand. "Are you mad?!" Remus cried. Harry had done the same thing when he confronted Sirius at the Shrieking shack. _Why doesn't Harry do it? _he wondered in an instant. "He killed Dumbledore! If you don't kill him I will Harry."

Harry turned to him and shook his head. "He's innocent, Remus. I just killed his doppelganger."

There was a surprised, "Oh!" behind them and they both turned to Hermione. "A doppelganger, did you say Harry?" He nodded and she added after some hesitation, "That makes sense!"

Remus couldn't find the words to express his shock.

Snape watched the whole thing with interest. Once again Lupin faced him and had not killed him. Snape respected him for his talents if not for the person he was. Remus was almost as deadly as himself. They all were staring at him now and he allowed himself to relax.

"Doppelganger," Lupin said. Snape knew Lupin understood immediately even if the teenagers didn't. Lupin lowered his wand.

Remus collected himself and said, "If that's true, Harry, then you didn't really kill it. It's just disappeared. You can't kill a doppelganger." He walked into the house and glanced around and then at Snape. "Why are you here?"

"I thought it was the best place to hide," Snape answered. "I'm well aware of what has been printed in the Daily Prophet, and that everyone considers me a murderer. I also know that the Dark Lord is searching for me." Snape found a chair and sat down casually. Hermione was busy whispering things to Ron out in the front garden and Harry was still at the door silent and watching him. "The Fidelius Charm was broken when Albus died," Snape told Lupin. He watched the man wandering through the room looking at it as he himself had done when he first arrived.

Lupin turned and said, "Yes, I know. Still it's odd that you chose this house." He continued to stroll around. " I'm not sure I'm ready to stand down, Severus. I wanted your blood and I don't feel very satisfied right now that I don't have it on my hands."

Snape nodded and glanced at Harry. He understood completely. The energy, the desire, the need to kill rose up inside until it demanded satisfaction. If thwarted; it left a dull ache inside, an uneasiness.

Hermione and Ron appeared at the door and they gathered near Harry and whispered to him. He continue to glare at Snape and finally left with them and disappeared outside once again. Snape was left alone with Lupin.

"So what are you going to do with me?' Snape asked. He wasn't at all curious about the answer. He had asked the question to divert attention. The act of sitting down allowed him to reach his own wand. Now that he was armed he felt comfortable enough to socialize.

Lupin shrugged and continued to wander around the room. "Nothing, I guess. I'm not going to go out of my way to explain to everyone that you're innocent and I can't very well persuade your master to leave you alone. I guess you take your chances like the rest of us. Although it pleases me to say that your chances are a little slimmer than ours. "

"He is not my master," Snape said and stood. "If I am free to go, then I will." He reached for the valise. The room seemed a little darker then it had a half hour before all of this was taking place and Snape glanced at the window. The sun was setting in a grand manner flooding the world with shades of orange and red. The shadows were already lengthening and dusk was settling in. It would be a warm, late summer night; one where people normally would have stayed out in the evening and enjoy the last of summer.

This was not an ordinary summer. Snape reached for his valise and heard the sound of howling far off in the distance. It was not the sound of a dog. He stopped mid-action and stood erect, listening. Lupin was also listening, but with more sensitive ears.

"Werewolves?" Snape hissed.

Lupin nodded. They stared at one another for an instant. "Hermione, Ron and Harry! I have to find them. They're in danger. They don't know..."

Snape nodded.

"Apparate while you still can," Lupin said and headed out the door. Snape glanced at his valise and then out at the encroaching dusk and followed wondering how long it would take for Lupin to turn.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven The Horcrux?

The darkness deepened in the shadow of the castle. Harry and Hermione and Ron walked as they talked and shared information. They had not been together since leaving the Hogwarts Express at the end of the last term and although they had exchanged letters there was a lot to discuss.

Ron was still sullen and unhappy but was adding to what Hermione was telling Harry. "I found the locket and then we went to Knockturn Alley to find some books to read up on it."

Harry listened and told them about his trip to Hogwarts via the cabinets, taking the sword, and then finding work in the little village. He described his encounter with Slughorn.

"Did he tell you anything?" Hermione asked excitedly.

Harry nodded and replied, "He told me what he knew. If you have the real locket with the Horcrux then we can try his method out."

"Harry, do you really trust him?" Ron asked. " I mean I don't think I'd even trust him if I poured a barrel full of veritaserum down his throat."

"Know what you mean," Harry said, kicking through tall grasses. He remembered Ron's treatment by Slughorn during the previous school year and it still angered him.

They were in a meadow with trees punctuating the slope. It was cool in the shade of the hill before them and the sun was setting.

"So what did you do with him?" Hermione asked.

"I just left him. He can take care of himself. He's an expert at hiding," Harry said bitterly.

"And Snape?" Ron asked. "What's that all about?"

Harry shook his head and kicked at a clump of grass. "I hate him! BUT I can't be sure that he's not telling the truth. I saw the Doppelganger right there beside him and it spoke. At first, I couldn't tell them apart, they were just like twins- identical you know? Then Snape asked me to ask them both a question that only the real one could answer, something from his past. I did and he answered. Then, I cursed the double. But I guess it doesn't do any good to do that." He looked at Hermione.

"You're right, Harry. That doesn't get rid of a doppelganger and if I were Snape I'd be doubly unhappy that I had one." She smirked. "Sorry, about the pun."

Ron nodded and added, "I've heard of those. It's said that you die if you face one. They attach themselves to you and stick like gum and they can drive you insane talking to you all the time. The double never tells the truth. I guess its pretty horrible. I'm surprised you didn't kill them both Harry."

Harry glanced at him and didn't answer.

Ron went on, "It looks like the double was useful. You could tell the real Snape from the fake and you found out he was innocent. Looks like You-Know-Who made the doppelganger and set Snape up."

Harry agreed. "I guess so. I believe that part of it even though it's hard to swallow." He sat down under one of the trees and gazed at the large spreading branches overhead. He wanted more then anything to ignore the truth. It would make it easier to just walk back into the house and kill the wizard. "At least, we're making some headway with the Horcruxes. If we only knew what all of them are and where they are."

"Harry, you aren't going to try and leave us again are you?" Hermione asked, sitting down beside him. "We've been of help and we can do more. Hogwarts is opening again and Remus seems to think you might be safer there. He says he's teaching and there are loads of people that might be willing to help us. If Lupin can look into Dumbledore's Pensieve then we can and we might see something he hasn't seen."

Harry considered her remarks. "If I'm there it puts a lot of people in danger, Hermione. Anyone who's near me can get hurt."

He couldn't have known at that moment, as he talked, that Horace Slughorn was laying in the middle of Minerva McGonagall's sitting room, on her oriental carpet, dead as a doornail with a golden-haired Death Eater standing over him.

"But that's always been true, Harry. That's nothing new," Ron argued. "He's been after you since we were eleven years old; first with the Sorcerer's Stone and then the basilisk. It's never made a difference where you are or who you're with. Hermione's right. Hogwarts is the safest place for you; not here." He waved his arm around. "You saw that house. I know it's your parents old house but it's not fit to live in and this place is isolated; spooky even." They followed his gaze as he stared up at the castle looming directly over their heads.

"Let's go up," Harry suggested. The ruins drew him and he was curious. He didn't feel the same eerie feeling that Ron seemed to have and wanted to know more about where his parents had once lived. The three got to their feet and began to climb up stone steps that were worn from weather and time. In some places they had crumbled into rubble and it was a precarious climb.

"It'll be strange without Dumbledore," Hermione murmured as if she were speaking her thoughts out loud.

Harry agreed with her. He thought of the white stone sarcophagus that was Dumbledore's tomb and how it was out in plain view. It would always be a reminder of what happened and he wasn't sure he was ready to endure that.

"What else will you do mate, if you don't go back?" Ron asked from behind him.

"I can stay at the Huxleys," Harry answered, stopping to stare at the castle. "You know, Dumbledore was sure that one of the Horcruxes was something Riddle chose that came from Gryffindor or Ravenclaw House. I went and got the sword but I never thought of the Sorting Hat. Didn't that belong to Gryffindor?"

Hermione jumped in, "Yes, you're right Harry! It was in one of the songs that it sang at the beginning of term."

Both Harry and Ron stopped and turned to her. She wasn't aware they were doing it until she ran into Harry.

"Hermione, how could you remember that?" Ron asked in astonishment.

"I just do!" she said crossly and closed her eyes and recited the phrase, ["T'was Gryffindor who found the way, He whipped me off his head, The founders put some brains in me, So I could choose instead."](copyright from J., Chamber of Secrets).

"The issue is," Harry said firmly, "we are looking for something that he might have used to make a Horcrux. I told you he went to Hogwarts once to ask for a teaching position for the second time. Dumbledore seemed to think he was there for another reason. That was probably to find something to use. Maybe he was after the Sorting Hat"

They were silent as they climbed and thought about it. It was Hermione who spoke first. "That's a perfect reason to return to Hogwarts, Harry. If the hat is a Horcrux then we can protect it and maybe destroy it." He contemplated the contradiction and she shrugged, "Well, you know what I mean."

"I've got some time to think about it," he finally said. "School doesn't start for awhile yet." He stopped and was watching two figures moving quickly towards them from below across the field at the base of the hill. It was hard to see since the sun had dropped behind the hill overlooking the valley. It was quickly becoming shrouded in ever growing twilight.

"It's only days Harry," Hermione grumbled. "Hogwarts is opening a bit earlier the Daily Prophet said and we got our letters. It's only a few days away. Although to tell you the truth I don't think it's the hat. I mean they sort students every year and there's never been any possession when it's placed on the head...." she was chatting and realized they had stopped again. "What is it?" She was looking at him and he was staring past her down the slope.

"What is he shouting about?" Ron asked. He had also stopped and was looking the same direction.

Harry could hear Lupin calling to them and was shocked that Snape was close on his heels and overtaking him. They were almost at the bottom of the hill and were now starting the climb. He felt his heart start to beat wildly. _Is Snape chasing Remus? _he wondered. _Did I make a mistake and choose the wrong one? Should I have killed Snape?_

"Should we go down?" Hermione asked.

Harry watched for a moment longer and grew anxious. "I'll go down. You stay here."

He pulled his wand out and Ron caught his arm. "It's not what you think mate," Ron said and looked at him. "Snape's not after Lupin. Wait.....I can just barely hear... ."

Harry stopped and listened.

It was only when they were very close that they the could hear what Lupin was shouting and the sound of animals howling; a sound that was coming closer every second they stood there.

Ron was the first to see a dozen figures running like animals with long loping strides just behind Lupin and Snape. They were moving very fast and the sound of howling drifted up on air currents reaching them as echoes. Lupin was already almost on the step nearest Ron and Snape was behind, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Werewolves," Ron gurgled and took a step next to Harry, gripping his arm convulsively. "Those are werewolves!"

"We must Apparate now!" Lupin shouted, out of breath. "Grimmauld Place!"

Snape was watching Lupin who had suddenly froze in place. "Do it now," Snape hissed at the three of them. "Tonight is a full moon. He's going to turn soon."

Harry concentrated and did everything he had learned to do when it came to Apparating, and yet he didn't feel the familiar squeezing sensation. Hermione didn't fade and neither did Ron. They looked at Snape who had his wand out pointed at Lupin.

"What are you doing?" Harry snapped, leaping forward.

"Up! Go up," Snape answered, shoving him back up the stairs. " We cannot Apparate here! Go to the castle. They are on us!"

Harry looked over his shoulder and saw humans climbing the stairs with great speed. They would be there in minutes. Although they had not turned it was clear that they were already possessed by their animal counterpart. He turned and ran up the stairs behind Hermione and Ron. Snape was maneuvering Lupin with his wand. Remus seemed incapable of guiding his own steps. Harry had seen this before and knew Snape was right.

"Into the castle!" Snape ordered. "Keep climbing!"

They entered through a gate and into darkness. Harry could barely make out a set of stone steps leading up into pitch black. They each lit there wands and kept moving. Ahead of him was an open door leading into a black hole. He felt a hand on his back shoving him forward.

They were in a large room in one of the towers. There were pieces of furniture that had long-since rotted almost into dust and only the shape left behind spoke of what they once must have been.

"Grab what you can and barricade the door," Snape shouted. He pushed Lupin towards another opening that looked like a small alcove.

Hermione and Ron searched with him. Almost everything they touched turned to dust or fell apart in their hands. Harry finally found the door laying on the floor covered in heavy dust. Together they lifted it in place and Snape stepped over and waved his wand over it.

"That will strengthen it," he said, "although it may not hold through the night."

"Where's Remus?" Harry snapped. He stepped around Snape and saw Lupin behind a set of rusting crisscrossing bars that covered the recess in the wall.

"It's alright Harry," Lupin managed. He was gripping the bars and shaking them to determine their sturdiness. "Tonight is the night of the full moon. I tried to get you all back and then leave before this happened, but I was so surprised by Severus that I just forgot." He laughed and then sobered up almost immediately. "Severus, I thank you for this, but I don't think it will hold."

Snape examined it again, going over it with his lit wand. "Perhaps not. We shall see."

The silence was suddenly broken by scratching, growling and howling outside the door. There were animals snuffing and snarling, fighting amongst themselves and clawing at the door to get in.

Harry looked at the door and then back at Lupin in time to see him begin his change.

"Promise me Severus..." Remus cried as his body contorted and changed shape. "Promise you will kill me if I escape." He glared at them with yellow animal eyes and twisted again. "Promisssse meeeee!"

Snape stepped to the makeshift cage and said, simply, "Yes. I will kill you if you escape."

Harry wasn't sure that Remus understood the words. He was already growling and prowling the cage as a wolf. Harry glared at Snape as he turned away.

Hermione stood next to him gripping his arm tightly and watching the door buckle a little as the werewolves flung themselves against it. Ron was standing in front of her with his arm extended and his wand pointing at the door.

"Your wand will do you no good Weasley," Snape said. He was searching the room going over ground they had already covered.

"What do you mean?" Ron shouted over the din.

"You can't kill a werewolf with your wand, Ron," Hermione said pulling at his sleeve. "You have to cut off their heads." She glanced at Snape. "He set the essay. We had to write about werewolves, remember?"

Snape stopped and glanced at her and then moved on. "You're right, Miss Granger. If I cannot find something that can be transfigured into a sharp object of some kind we might find ourselves in trouble."

Harry started looking at the floor again, this time scrutinizing and picking up everything he could feel that was solid. The other two did the same. Unfortunately, every thing in the room was rotted away or rusted away to nothing and could not be transfigured. The only objects worthwhile were the door and the cage that held Lupin.

Ron stepped to the windows and peered out, shaking his head. "We're too far up."

Harry looked out and saw the deep abyss that lay beneath the window. The only side of the hill that was passable was the way they had come. He turned back to the room. Hermione was staring at him with wide frightened eyes. The four of them were now gathered at the farthest end of the room. They could do nothing but wait and Harry knew that it was going to either be a long night or a very short one if the door didn't hold.

Using his wand, he cleaned a space on the floor and sat down. Ron and Hermione joined him while Snape continued to circle the room. He fingered the pocket watch that he carried in his pocket and wondered how he was going to handle the situation. The watch could be transfigured back into its' original form as the Gryffindor sword. However, Snape would want to wield it. Harry couldn't be sure that it wasn't a Horcrux. He had used it himself, but wondered if he had some sort of immunity. If that were the case, he would have to protect them if the werewolves made their way in.

_Or worse_, he thought. _I might have to kill Lupin! _

He watched Snape and then busied himself by studying some of the artwork that adorned the walls. It was faded and the colors were no longer brilliant. There were spaces where the plaster had fallen away revealing the stones beneath. The scene depicted a hall decorated with draped pennants in the Gryffindor colors of scarlet and gold. It was a scene of gaiety, like a party with crowds of people. Above the center table was an emblem wrought in gold that Harry recognized immediately. It was a Phoenix.

Harry's thoughts were drawn to a room he had seen recently and the cacophony of noises at the door faded into the background. His mind drifted to Mrs. Higgins house. He had glanced at all of the objects she collected and hadn't paid much attention to the details of each. They were an odd assortment of objects and someone would have a hard time relating any items together as one would a true collection; one like his Aunt Petunia's. She spent endless hours arranging her collection of oriental teapots. Mrs. Higgins collection of objects was different, with the exception of the Hogwarts items. She had collected something from each house and they were grouped together.

_I wonder if she ever got anything from my parents. They were Gryffindor? She lives close enough and it would have been easy for her to spot something that belonged to them and ask for it. She knew my mother; they had tea together._

"Harry!" Hermione's sharp outcry brought him back to reality. He glanced at the door and saw one of the hinges give way.

Snape was on his feet and striding towards it. Harry jumped up and joined him. "Can you make it more secure?" he asked.

Snape shook his head slowly and said, "I have done what I can."

Harry stared at him and then slowly withdrew the pocket watch. Snape watched him closely. Harry looked at it and then slowly waved his wand over it and transfigured the watch back into the silver Gryffindor sword.

Hermione and Ron were standing beside him. The sounds outside the door made it difficult to hear so he once again moved to the windows.

"I think that I would be the best candidate for using that, Potter," Snape said.

"I know you think you are," Harry said calmly, "but even touching it could mean your death or...worse."

Snape's lips curled into his familiar snarl and he said very slowly and sarcastically, "Really!"

Harry nodded. "Yes, what I'm saying is true." The sound of the wolves increased and the wood of the door began to splinter. He made up his mind, turned to his ex-teacher and said, "Voldemort made seven Horcruxes. We've been trying to find them and destroy them. That's what Dumbledore and I were doing the night he died. We thought we had found one and I think that this sword might be a Horcrux. I've handled it before but it hasn't affected me. If you touch it or anyone else touches it, the sword could kill you or them. Actually, we think that Voldemort can possess whoever touches one of them."

Snape looked at him and then at the sword, speechless. The howling of the wolves pierced the night and Lupin returned the call. Harry glanced over at Remus and then back at Snape. "You can't kill him if I give this to you. And if you change...become possessed or anything then we will kill you."

Snape nodded and reached for it. "Stun them when they break through. It will stop them for an instant and maybe long enough for me to use this." He grasped the hilt and pulled it from Harry's hands. They all waited breathlessly. Harry could see his dark eyes reflecting the wand light and there was no change in his face. Snape swung around facing the door while the three of them stepped to his right and left and waited.

_It's not a Horcrux!_ Harry repeated over and over in his mind and watched the door shredded into splinters by long yellow claws and gnashing teeth.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve The Phoenix

They fought well and after it was done it was a gory sight. Harry was better then the others since he no longer had to call out the spells and his reflexes were lightening quick. The werewolves poured through the opening and were simultaneously stunned and killed by the slashing sword. Blood spewed everywhere and the scent of it made Lupin go crazy. He was throwing himself against the bars of his cage. Harry kept one eye on him and one on the door moving quickly to sidestep a claw or the sharp white teeth that snapped at him.

Snape was like a dancer. He held the sword as the old warriors did and moved flawlessly in circles, lopping off heads and being drenched in blood as he did so. He and Harry worked in front of Ron and Hermione, and Ron in front of her.

It all seemed like a nightmare to Harry and yet he found that he was not afraid to be in battle once again, not afraid of getting bitten or scratched or even killed. He was very pleased that he was working efficiently alongside Snape. He didn't really care if the potion's master admired his new talents but he hoped, if they lived through it all, that it might be enough to stop his perpetual nasty remarks towards him. And it was a silly thing to concern him, he realized as he stepped through pools of blood.

"Hermione! Ron! Cover Lupin!" he shouted during the melee. The man, turned werewolf, had managed to get a claw around the edge of the rotten iron cage and was working it free. His sharp white teeth were tearing at it and he was snarling. Just his body weight alone was going to be enough to break him free. Hermione rounded on him and pointed her wand ready to stun him.

Harry turned back to the door. There were bodies lying at their feet and he could feel the wetness of fresh blood spray on his face and arms. Every step he took made him nudge a severed head with his feet and he was fast beginning to find the floor slippery with the gore. Ron was on the other side of Snape who was standing prepared to attack once again, although it seemed that there were no more coming through.

Harry was breathing hard, rocking slightly back and forth on the balls of his feet, ready to go at it again. The only sound now was Lupin snarling and growling.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed.

He turned in time to see a large furry body launch itself into the air directly over his head. And yet, in that instant he felt no crushing blow or weight falling on him. The wolf had jumped cleanly over his head and landed at Snape's feet.

Harry saw Snape turn. There was no time, not a second to lose.

He shot the spell directly at Lupin without hesitating. It was his favorite stinging spell and it was enough to send the wolf twisting up to do a mid-air acrobatic flip and then drop to the ground on four feet. When Lupin landed he was very close to Snape and the white fangs were inches away from his leg. Snape's arms were in the air holding the sword high, but not in a position to attack the werewolf.

"No!" Harry cried. He once again threw a spell sending Lupin rolling across the room towards the opening in the door. Instead of turning to challenge the four human beings, the wolf ran for it through the opening and sped out into the night.

__

Thank goodness! were his first thoughts. The very thought of Snape lopping off Lupin's head made his head swim. He leaned over grabbing his knees and waited for the dizziness and nausea to stop. His arms ached and he stood knee deep in dead bodies. It made him want to vomit.

When he raised his head he saw Hermione horror-stricken face and Ron sucking in deep gulps of air. He could see in the moonlight shining through the windows that both were drenched in a black liquid substance that Harry knew to be blood. He glanced at Snape who slowly lowered the sword and stared at him.

"Anyone get scratched?" Harry asked. "Bitten?" They all shook their heads. "Good."

"How awful," Hermione mumbled, lighting her wand and staring down at her feet. "These were human beings before they transformed."

Her wand light illuminated the area and Harry surveyed the bodies lying on the floor thinking that even that little bit of light made the scene even more ghastly. He had not considered the issue since the fight had been upon them and they had reacted almost instinctively. Now he looked at the bodies and felt some relief that he had handed the sword to Snape and had not killed all of these people.

"You know Harry," Ron said softly, "It's probably a good thing you didn't kill them. Dumbledore said your soul was pure and good. If you had murdered these people then it wouldn't be would it? It might have got in the way of killing You-Know-Who."

Harry stared at him dumbfounded and a little anxious that without realizing it he may have given away the secret that they knew about the prophecy to Snape. _Why not_, Harry thought, _he knows everything else._

Hermione looked over at Ron. It was clear she was stunned by his insight and then she began to nod and added, "Yes. That's the essence of it although it's not quite his words. I think he's right, Harry. Murder or killing would naturally draw you to the dark side; it would even be seductive. Your innocence is a strong point, a virtue that...Vol...." she stopped and glanced at Snape and continued, "that the Dark Lord has lost completely. I think it's really important that you don't kill anyone." She looked at him and he could see the worry in her eyes.

Snape was watching him and although his face was also covered in blood Harry could see that he was listening and studying the situation. Harry knew that he had saved the man's life, or had at least saved him from being bitten. He wondered how he was going to deal with it. Harry knew from stories that had been told that Snape had not taken kindly to his father, James, rescuing him from Lupin either.

"Are we safe here?" Ron asked.

Snape answered but was still looking at Harry. "We can set the door up again and shore it up until morning. We may find some other material to use in another room that will help. I think that this is all there is," he glanced down at the bodies, " and Lupin won't return tonight. "

Hermione turned her wand on herself and began to clean the substance that was now turning sticky from her face and hands and then did the same to Ron. Harry nodded to her and she did the same for him. It was only then that Snape began to move. He used his wand to levitate the bodies out through the open doorway and into the dark where Harry decided that he was disposing of them in some empty room.

Together, he and Ron and Hermione did the best they could to remove the large quantities of congealing blood from the floor, although it was mixed with the dust and rot of the ages and it was more like removing globs of dough. Snape returned with more wood and once again lifted the door and set it in place with a spell.

When they were satisfied that it was all they could do, they sat on the floor and rested. Once again Snape remained standing, although he placed the silver sword in front of Harry.

Harry noticed that the blade was clean and there was no gore stuck to it. He also knew what was coming next. He watched Snape standing in the shadows and couldn't read his face. _He has to wonder, he must want to ask questions_, Harry thought.

They remained together for a long time until Hermione fell asleep with her head in Ron's lap and him leaning against a wall. Harry didn't want to disturb them since it was clear that they needed time alone. It gave him a little jolt of remorse that they had each other to lean on in a time like this and once again he was alone without anyone to console him.

He stood and walked to a window and watched the white face of the moon. It seemed to be bigger then usual and he thought maybe it was an illusion created by being in the high tower. He felt Snape's presence next to him.

"Did I hear you right Potter?' Snape asked keeping his voice low. "Did you say Horcruxes?"

Harry didn't turn to look at him but nodded. "Yes. That's what I said." He waited for the next question that didn't come. There was a long silence and he turned to the man. "There are seven. Dumbledore spent years researching Riddle's family history going all the way back to his grandfather and his mother. He was looking for objects that Riddle might have used to make the Horcruxes. He found a ring that belonged to Slytherin and was passed down to the Gaunts which were Riddles mother's side of the family. Dumbledore destroyed that one and it is what ruined his hand."

Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione who was now awake and watching them. " Ive already told you about the diary. Merope Gaunt, Riddle's mother, had a locket. It was her only valuable possession left to her and she sold it for ten galleons just before she gave birth to him. Dumbledore and I went to a place where Riddle hid it and we retrieved it. That was the night that you....that he was killed. The Dark Lord set traps. One of them was a bowl that Dumbledore drank from. The locket was at the bottom and couldn't be reached any other way other than to drink the liquid in it." Harry once again watched Snape's face as he continued, "He became crazy and mad for water and the only way I could give him water was to take it from a lake filled with Inferi."

At this Snape took a deep breath and his face grew even grimmer and yet he remained silent.

"He was very sick when we apparated back to Hogsmeade. He told me to fetch you. But Madam Rosmerta told us about the Dark Lord's mark hanging over the castle and Dumbledore roused himself and we flew to the astronomy tower. He...I think he was very close to death," Harry sighed. He remembered in detail the moments that followed. "He told me to fetch you once again and I was about to do that when we heard noises. With his last ounce of strength he froze me to the wall and I was under the invisibility cloak. Draco came through the door and after that other Death Eaters. Draco was supposed to kill Dumbledore but couldn't do it."

Harry felt a strange sensation rising in his chest. He felt the tears of frustration, and sorrow and anger rising all at one time. When he spoke again he choked a little and then pushed on, "It was when you arrived. You pushed Draco aside. Dumbledore pleaded with you and you killed him without hesitation."

There was a heavy silence and Snape spoke, "I did not kill Dumbledore."

Harry studied the pale face in the moonlight. He didn't care, he told himself. Dumbledore was still dead and it didn't change anything. He turned away and continued, "Dumbledore said there are six Horcruxes and one that remains inside the body. We can account for the ring, the diary and the locket. I understand that there was also a cup owned by Hufflepuff..." he heard Snape inhale abruptly once again and he went on, "....Dumbledore thinks Nagini, his snake, is one and that leaves two."

Hermione had risen and walked towards them. She stood nearby listening and Harry glanced at her trying to keep his face unreadable.

"Do you know what the others are?" Snape asked.

Harry shook his head. He did not want to tell him what he had guessed only a short time before. "It seems that Riddle was choosing objects that he had a special interest in. There was the Slytherin ring, Riddle's diary that he kept while he was at Hogwarts and Dumbledore thought that Riddle wanted an object from the three other Hogwarts Houses, like the Hufflepuff cup; from Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. He believed that Riddle had a sentimental attachment to Hogwarts."

"Therefore the sword," Snape said. "You took it from Hogwarts."

Harry nodded and looked at him once again but remained silent.

"So it is not the sword," Snape mused. His hand rested on the window ledge and he stared at the moon. There were still streaks of blood on his face darkened by the moonshine so that it looked like boot black. It made him look like on of the old Celtic warriors who painted their faces for battle. Harry was sure the muggle reference would escape Snape altogether.

Harry was thinking about that when Snape spoke again. "It is not the snake either."

"Are you sure, Professor......Mr. Snape?" Hermione stuttered.

He nodded, looking a little surprised that she was speaking directly to him.

"Yes, I think I can be sure," Snape answered. "Dumbledore did not confide in me. If he had, I would have told him that his guess was wrong."

"Why do you suppose he didn't confide in you?" Harry asked. "It took him a long time to do all of this research and you never knew what he was doing. That doesn't speak of trust Snape." He squared off to him and they were feet apart. The air thickened with tension.

Snape backed off first. "If you still don't believe me, Potter, then why did you stop Lupin from biting me?" He turned away. "I believe that you will need my help in finding these objects and destroying them. I assume you have the locket?"

Harry nodded.

"Perhaps we should set aside our feelings and discuss them another day. Until then we should focus on getting out of this castle."

Hermione and Harry glanced at one another and back to him. "Why? Is it a problem?" Harry asked. "More werewolves?"

Snape didn't answer. He strolled to the door and peered through cracks in it. Ron joined them watching Snape.

"It's not werewolves Harry," Ron said and looked worried. "We're in Gryffindor's castle."

Harry nodded. "Okay, so what?"

Hermione also looked perplexed. "What is it, Ron?"

Their friend turned to them and lowered his voice. "Weren't you a bit surprised that we couldn't apparate? If you try it now you'll find you can't do it now either; I tried. This castle is like a legend in our world. It's swallowed wizards up so they are never to be seen again. Bright lights are seen in and around it and the Ministry sends wizards out to figure out what they are. Even dad's been out here. Everyone knows about it, it's the castle and the whole area surrounding it, Harry. It's the Hollows. " He glanced over at Snape and back to them. "He's worried that maybe we're in a trap of our own making. It's said that when you enter Gryffindor's castle it's like a time turner and that's why wizards disappear. They disappear into time."

Hermione listened and her frown deepened. "Really! I've never heard of this, Ron. I read the **Hogwarts: A History **and it never mentioned it and it covers the history of all the founders."

Harry was also listening and once again his eye wandered over the paintings on the walls, although they were now obscured by darkness. "Hermione?!"

"Yes, Harry?" she answered still staring at Ron. "What?"

"You know Hermione I don't think there are ten people in the world that have actually read **Hogwarts; A History **from cover to cover."

She shook her head and tried not to smile. "I don't see what that's got to do with the situation we're in Harry. If what Ron says is true we should be trying to leave here if we can."

"I don't know about that, Hermione," Ron said quickly. "It might be best if we wait until it's light out. We're not going to be able to figure out a trap in the dark; if there is one." He shivered and surveyed the darkened room and without looking at Harry said, "Go on mate. What were you thinking?"

"Hermione you've read the book and it tells all about the founders of Hogwarts, about their lives and so on?"

"Yes," she answered.

"And you have an excellent memory," he added.

"Well thank you, Harry," she said puzzled, and started to continue until he interrupted.

"There's a woman I met earlier today....oh, well....yesterday," he corrected himself. "Her name was Elizabeth Higgins, and she lived near my parent's house. She gave me directions."

"What 's this got to do with anything?" Ron asked. He was watching Snape over his shoulder.

"Shhh, Ron!" Hermione cautioned, "Let him finish."

Harry was momentarily irritated. It was hard enough to put into words what he was trying to put together in his own mind. He knew that if he reached for it a little longer that the whole idea would solidify. He was also afraid it would vanish into thin air if he didn't put words to it. "She was a strange woman and she had loads of stuff in her house, even a collection of things from Hogwarts."

"Like a junk shop?" Hermione asked.

"What's a junk shop?" Ron asked.

Harry ignored Ron's question and went on, "No, not like that. More like a museum; a collection." He emphasized the word. " I was trying to put together the book **Hogwarts: A History **and her house and her collection. It seems important." He was biting his lip and trying to make a connection.

"She's like a historian, Harry?" Hermione was knitting her brows together and throwing out suggestions. "Maybe a antique dealer, a museum curator, a...a... an.....archeologist?" It was clear that Ron didn't understand a thing they were talking about since she was using muggle terms. "Who else has collections?" she pondered aloud.

"Yes!" Harry said jabbing a finger at her. "That's it! I couldn't think of the word before but that's exactly what she was- an archeologist- but not a muggle one, she was a witch. Except that she said she wasn't a very good one. But I think that's exactly what she was. Her collection was so weird. Only someone like an archeologist would have one like it or maybe a museum curator."

"Okay," Hermione replied and seemed puzzled. "She collected objects from the four founders of Hogwarts, and?"

Harry turned to the wall he had seen earlier and placed his hands on it. "There's a picture here. It's very dull and worn away. If this was Gryffindor's castle it would have been a scene painted in his time. And there was a golden phoenix in it." Harry pressed his head against the wall straining to understand what he was trying to tell them. "Dumbledore had Fawkes."

"Oh, yes!" Hermione said excitedly. "**Hogwarts: A History** says that Fawkes once belonged to Gryffindor." She stepped to the wall and looked at it even if it couldn't be seen in the dark. "Wait. What's that got to do with anything?"

Harry turned to her "Can that be possible? Can Fawkes be that old?"

Hermione and Ron nodded and Ron answered, "Oh yes, it's possible. Phoenix are immortal, Harry. They burn up and are reborn in the ashes."

__

A Phoenix, a phoenix. Where have I seen one besides on this wall? he wondered. _Did I see one at Mrs. Higgins, in her collection? Was that where I saw it? A golden figure- a small statue- sitting on a shelf. _He could barely remember it_. Was it a statue of a phoenix_, he wondered. _Or am I imagining things._

Hermione and Ron were still watching him expectantly.

Snape was walking towards them and Harry realized that the room was a smidgeon lighter then it had been all night. He glanced out the window and saw that the moon was on it's descent and that the sky was growing lighter as it did just before dawn. He could also see in the dim distance the smudge where his parents house stood although the shape was indistinct.

__

Did I see it there? he questioned, _or at the Higgins house? _And at once he knew what he was thinking about. A statue of a phoenix-The Phoenix- Fawkes. And it was in the cottage table next to the stairs at the entryway. It had looked out of place and somehow his mind had caught that bit of trivia and he had remembered it. Perhaps it was because his thoughts about Dumbledores death had yet to fade and anything that was connected to him stood out. He didnt know. What he did know was that he wasnt going to tell anyone until he had a chance to check it out himself.

"We should try to leave now," Snape said.

Hermione was still watching Harry and waiting for him to tell them what their conversation had been leading to. He shook his head a little and followed Snape out.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen The Magic of Gryffindor Castle

Snape was disturbed although he did not show it. He was angry that he was in Gryffindor castle with three of his former students; three of the worst of his former students, including Potter. He had just fought a battle with a dozen or more werewolves and managed to come out of it alive and unscathed. Although, he didn't want to admit it to himself, he had done it with their help.

He stood and listened to them talk when they thought he could not hear and pondered what the Potter boy had told him. _Horcruxes! _he thought with great dread. It explained so much and it genuinely posed a number of problems. Not impossible problems to solve, but difficult ones. And the Potter boy knew what some of the objects were. Dumbledore had helped him with that. Snape thought of the old man and his acute abilities and talents. Dumbledore could very well have had the skills to deduce what Riddle had done and go on a quest to destroy them all, he decided.

What bothered him more was Albus' lack of confidence in him. Hadn't he suffered for him? Lived with pain and torment for him? Snape could still hear Potter's question running through his own mind. _Why didn't Albus confide in me? _he wondered

Snape also reflected on the remark the Weasley boy had made. It was a simple remark but Potter and Granger's reaction had been immediate. Something about Potter killing the Dark Lord. They knew something and weren't telling him or Potter was just arrogant enough to believe only he could do the job.

Snape squinted in the dark, frowning to himself. They could not see his expression. He wondered if it had to do with the Prophecy, that old prediction that hung about his neck like an albatross. Something about it had driven the Dark Lord to attempt to acquire it; actually spend a great deal of energy and go out of his way to possess it. So much so that he showed up at the Ministry himself. Malfoy had bungled that and Snape had been amused. _Every little bit helps_, he told himself. _You make mistakes Lord, so many mistakes. You show your weaknesses when you think you are invulnerable!_

Snape had played the game so long that he felt weary to the bone. Now, not only was he responsible for himself but he was responsible for Potter and his friends. Lupin had been no help at all. _Coming out on this night and in the company of these children! _That had been James Almighty Potter's and Sirius Black's fault, Snape decided. Lupin was treated like a normal human being for so long that he had begun to believe in it himself. It disgusted Snape. The man had put everyone in danger. Surprisingly, the Potter boy had used his wits and was quick. He had kept Lupin from biting him and had saved his life. Snape grimaced and shifted his weight to the other foot.He tucked that thought away; it was too uncomfortable to dwell on.

He searched the darkness of the castle room with his instincts and senses rather then with his eyes. There was something here, an unidentifiable something that he couldn't pin down. He knew that the castle was suppose to be a trouble spot. He'd just never anticipated being inside it.

The other thing that pressed on him was the doppelganger. Snape had never had any hopes that he would escape the long reach of the Dark Lord or even be able to hide his duplicity for long. He lived almost twelve years believing that the dark wizard was dead and gone. He lived in peace, the first he'd ever had, with just a little uneasiness that he and others were wrong and that Voldemort would rise again. Dumbledore had warned him. Now, he was running from something that the Dark Lord had set upon him. A Doppelganger! It would not be easy to evade.

Snape saw the light of the new dawn through the windows and straightened. It was time.

He walked over to them. They were at it again, he could tell; up to something and he had caught them in the middle of it. They were thinking up something that would get them in trouble and it would take time and energy to get them out of it and most likely would get them- and him- all killed. _You are not around, Albus. Don't expect me to coddle him, _hesaid to himself and to no one. Still, he found that he did have a little respect for the three of them. After all, they knew about Horcruxes and the Potter boy was still alive.

"We should try to leave now," he said.

They followed him out into the circular stone corridor that spiraled up through the center of the tower and was their exit. They had climbed the stone steps in their headlong rush to escape the werewolves and had found the first open room they had come across.

After the fight, Snape had taken some time to remove the bodies and explore the area a little further. He hoped now that they could take the most direct route, return the way they had come and leave.

He was wrong.

He led them into the corridor and started down the steps holding his wand out to light the area. He immediately noted that the area looked unfamiliar. The steps wound down, turned a corner and instead of continuing; stopped at a wall.

"What is it Professor?" Hermione asked.

Snape grunted and studied the wall without answering. She was not aware that she was still calling him Professor.

"It's a trap," Ron answered. "I told you. This place is bad business. Once you are in you can never get out."

Snape held his wand up to shine it on Ron's face. The three of them looked up at him and he noticed that Potter was the only one of the three that didn't look frightened. _Is it bravery? Courage? _Snape wondered. He was thankful that he could not see Potter's eyes. The reflection of the light from his wand which shone on the pince-nez hid his eyes. Snape was thankful for that. He didn't think he could tolerate seeing those green eyes; those eyes that looked so much like Lily's.

He turned and climbed the stairs again and went down a short corridor, passing the room piled high with carcasses. A window in the hallway shown out onto the world and he could see the first light of day_. Lupin got out_, he told himself.

He found a trap door at the end of a dead end. He raised his wand and studied it. _A maze! We have been caught in a maze. _Would it be worthwhile going further, he wondered. They could run around inside the castle for days, maybe longer and never find their way out.

Potter walked up and stood next to him staring at the trap door. Snape could hear the other two coming up behind them. They were arguing, having a lover's spat.

"I never said I would marry him, Ronald," Hermione groaned. "I don't want to marry right away. I think we have enough to worry about without adding to it." The two joined them.

Ron saw the trap door and moaned. "Look! A trap door!"

"That's rather obvious, Ron," Hermione said crossly. "Are we going down?"

Snape stared at her and then waved a hand and threw the door open. It dropped to the ground with a resounding bang. The hole was a well of bottomless darkness. He could not see a ladder or a means to descend. He thought it might have been comical to see them all standing around looking at a hole except that they were caught with no exit.

"You don't have a pocket watch you can transfigure into a ladder, do you Harry?" Ron asked, staring down into the hole.

Snape, Harry and Hermione looked at him with quizzical expressions.

"It was just an idea," he mumbled.

"The castle is not ready to let us go," Snape said and wandered off down the corridor.

"What did he mean by that?" Harry asked.

Snape found the stone bench and laid down and closed his eyes. He was used to going for a long time without sleep, even fighting a battle and going without sleep. Now, he wanted to close his eyes, become part of the stone bed he was lying on and pretend that he was alone. He was tired.

However, his rest was interrupted because he heard them moving around and talking. They were trying to stay quiet but his hearing was exquisitely sensitive.

He felt a presence after awhile. "What are you doing?" he asked, his eyes still closed.

"I'm...I'm looking for a hidden panel or door, Professor," Hermione answered in a whisper.

"You do not have to whisper. Obviously, I am awake," he said and opened his eyes. He turned his head and noticed Weasley moving up and down the corridor examining each section with his wand. The Potter boy was staring out the window, motionless. _Let them waste their time, _he thought. _It'll keep them from bothering me. _An hour later and almost asleep, Snape felt another person standing nearby.

"Professor?' It was the girl again.

Snape let a heartbeat of time pass before speaking. "Miss Granger, not everything you see is real and not everything that is real can be trusted." _That should keep her occupied for _a_while_, he thought. He didn't move, waiting for her to speak again or leave; she left.

A half hour later, his rest was interrupted again.

"Our situation will not be improved by asking me questions. I don't have any answers," Snape said to whoever was standing over him. He refused to open his eyes although the stone bench was fast becoming uncomfortable.

"I'm not here to ask questions." It was Potter.

Snape sat up and grumbled, "I have not failed in finding a solution yet, Potter. I have, however, found a thousand or so obstacles that stand in the way. If left alone long enough I may find a thousand more or I may find a way out of here. What I know is that part of the solution is patience."

The boy stared at him, the old-fashioned cap was off his head, the pince-nez spectacles transfigured to his normal glasses and the green eyes looking down at him. "I'm not concerned about getting out of here," Harry said.

That stopped Snape from making any further sarcastic remarks. There was something different about the boy. There was steely determination in his attitude and a aura of fierceness, he was not afraid. Snape was impressed. "I have nowhere to go, Potter. I'm listening."

"We don't need your help to find the Horcruxes and destroy them," Harry said. He sat at the end of the stone bench and leaned over, elbows on his knees, staring at the opposite wall. "It'll be a difficult task but not impossible. Dumbledore gave me enough clues before he died. If you choose to help us, and any of us survive, we will stand beside you and tell the Ministry and the Wizengamot the truth. That may not keep you out of Azkaban."

Snape remained silent.

Harry glanced down the hall watching his friends and then spoke again, "I know that it was you that overheard the Prophecy at the Hogshead Inn. You told it to Voldemort and that's why my parents were murdered. I know because Trelawney told me. She let it slip the night that Dumbledore was murdered."

"I confronted Dumbledore and asked if it were true. Everyone was always keeping secrets from me as if somehow that would protect me. I'd had enough of it, I felt I had a right to know. What he wouldn't tell me was why he could trust you after he knew that you betrayed my mother and father. Afterwards, it was too late to ask because he was dead. You answered my question correctly and the double couldn't. I keep wondering if he trusted you because it had something to do with my mother."

Snape stood, feeling uneasy at where the conversation was headed. The boy looked up at him with a steady gaze and changed the subject. "I suppose you could runaway," he said. "I don't see you as the type but I can see why that may be the best option you have. When I was running after you...the Double...that night on the grounds of Hogwarts and I thought it was you that killed Dumbledore, I called you a coward. That's not what I think of you now."

"Really? What changed your mind, Potter?" Snape asked coldly.

Harry continued to gaze at him and Snape suddenly felt that he was going to hear something he didn't want to hear. He watched and it seemed that the moment passed. It was there into the boy's face and then gone as if he had decided not to speak; but then he stood and faced him squarely. "You know my first night at Hogwarts when I was sorted by the Sorting Hat? It wanted to put me in Slytherin and I begged it not to. Dumbledore seemed to think that only a Gryffindor could pull the sword out of the hat, but I wonder about that, especially since being in this castle. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm not becoming more and more like you everyday and that worries me."

Snape was taken back by the remark but dared not show it on his face. He was about to make a snide comment when out of thin air a house-elf appeared at Potter's knee, dressed in Hogwarts clothing and tugging frantically on the boy's robes.

"Dobby has found Harry Potter! We have looked long and hard. Professor Lupin has asked us to find Harry Potter and Dobby has found Harry Potter!"

"Hello, Dobby," Harry said smiling down at the elf. Hermione and Ron hurried up. "Fancy you finding us here. Do you know where you are?"

"Dobby KNOWS Harry Potter. It is a very magical place. It is Gryffindor castle." The elf was clinging to Harry's robes and glancing about nervously.

Snape recognized the elf, it had been a servant at the Malfoy mansion for many years and the Potter boy had freed it. The act had almost sent Malfoy over the edge. There was little that kept him from killing the boy then and there. Snape knew because he'd listen to Lucius rant and rave about it for weeks afterward.

"Dobby we've been trapped here," Harry said. "Werewolves attacked us and then it seems the castle hasn't wanted t let us go. Can you help us?"

"Dobby can help Harry Potter and his friends," he said happily and then stared up at Snape. The expression changed and he cringed and pulled Harry's robes up to cover his face. "Dobby is afraid of the dark Professor."

"It's alright Dobby," Hermione crooned consolingly. "Professor Snape saved us from the werewolves."

"Let's leave while we can," Snape said quickly. He looked down at the elf. "We need your assistance to leave the castle, to find an exit. Can you find one?"

"If Harry Potter asks us we will do it?" Dobby answered.

Harry glanced once at Snape and then down at the elf. "Then do it Dobby."

The elf led the group once again down the hall past the room that began to have a strong odor and then down the stairs. Once again they turned the corner but found the stairs open and the sun shining at the end like bright eye at the end of a long tunnel. They hurried out and into the sunlight. Hermione and Ron continued down the stairs with the elf and Harry stopped and turned back to Snape.

"I would like your answer now," he said.

Snape paused and then nodded once. _After all, _he thought, _until I get rid of my double I can go anywhere in the world and not be safe._

Harry turned to go and the stopped and turned back. "Gryffindor castle would make a good place to trap a wizard I think. I doubt it would know the difference between a dark one or a good one."

Snape gaped at him even after he turned back and started down the stairs_. Does he mean to trap Voldemort here?_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen A Play in Three Acts

"When a person sees their own double it usually means that they are about to die," Hermione said. "Since this doppelganger was created by Voldemort it's hard to say what will happen."

"They said that about seeing the Grim, too." Harry mumbled. "Besides what kept him from making it himself so he could kill Dumbledore and blame it on his double?"

"No one would ever knowingly create a doppelganger, Harry," Hermione said shaking her head. "Not even to kill Dumbledore."

"What else do you know about them?"

"Well, you can't see it's reflection in a mirror for one thing and they can function in complete darkness, although I don't know how that's done; they never sleep; and the real person often gets confused about whether he is the doppelganger or the real person. It's a state of confused body awareness." She was eating an apple and sitting on the stone fence just outside his parent's house. They had returned from the castle, it was a hot late summer afternoon.

"For instance; if one is lying down and the other standing, the real person may not be able to tell who the person is that's lying down; is it himself or his double? That's because the double thinks that they are the real person. The real person finds the confusion so disturbing that they do crazy things. There are rare examples where the real person kills themselves and the double suddenly realizes he's only a double because he has no memories that go back in time. It's very confusing and not worth thinking about. It happens so rarely. Oh, and, they can't be disarmed. If they are holding weapon or a wand you can't take it from them. I'd have to check further but I think that means normal stunning spells and the like don't work on them."

Harry stared at her in amazement and asked with some trepidation, "How do you get rid of one?"

She glanced over and sighed, "Again, if this is a natural doppelganger we're talking about then it's said the only way to rid one is to kill the real person and then the double has no substance." She shook her brown mane of hair and shrugged, saying, "I hope that's not the case here, Harry. I know you don't like Snape but that's a drastic step."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around her knees and said, "Of course, the double can drive the real Snape insane just by hanging around where no one else can see him and just talk to him. It will lie to him and make suggestions to him that will prove false and altogether evil. They say the feeling of being divided in two is almost an intolerable feeling to suffer." She hesitated and then went on. "As far as getting rid of it...I don't know how he'll get rid of it."

They sat on the fence staring out over the forested hills and remained silent. They were waiting for Ron to return. He had apparated to the Burough at Snape's suggestion to tell his mother of developments so that she could pass it on to the members of the Order. Harry was also hoping Lupin would show up. Snape suggested they wait no longer than an hour since they would be vulnerable to attack again.

"Why do you ask?" Hermione finally asked. "Are you feeling sorry for him?"

"Hermione, no matter how hard I try I can't forgive him. Maybe he didn't kill Dumbledore but he's still a horrible person. You know how he treats me. He hates me and I don't even know why?" Harry replied.

He'd been thinking about it since they returned to his parent's bungalow in Godric's Hollow. He wanted to destroy the Horcruxes and kill Voldemort but he also knew he had a better chance if Snape were helping. He didn't like the idea but there it was. He also bitterly remembered the attempt to learn Occlumency from him. Just being in the same room was going to be difficult. However, the portrait of Margaret had given him information that he had not had before. He couldn't exactly hate the man his mother had befriended either. Still he had betrayed her and had gotten her killed. His thoughts were in a battle with each other and he was biting his lip thinking about it all.

"Harry," Hermione began, throwing one leg over the fence to straddle it and face him directly, "he's never asked for your forgiveness." Harry stared at her in surprise and she continued earnestly, "No. That's the truth! You're struggling so hard with yourself trying to decide if you can forgive him. Maybe he thinks he's done nothing to forgive. Who's to say why he is the way he is."

She tossed the apple core she'd been munching on and turned back to him. "You know, this is what I believe. Forgiveness means the same as writing it on a piece of paper and tearing that paper up into bits and pieces and letting it go; never ever returning to the issue. Forgiveness is not about Snape but about you Harry. Weak people can't forgive, only strong people can do that. You're strong Harry and you can't carry this burden around with you. You asked for his help and he agreed and he didn't attach any conditions to it. Can you live with that? Can you work with him if he never changes?"

"I don't trust him either," Harry argued. He didn't tell her that it was Snape that overheard the Prophecy and was responsible for passing it on to Voldemort. Pettigrew may have given up his parent's location as their secret-keeper but Snape had given the information to Voldemort."

"It's a lot easier to admit to being angry then to being hurt," Hermione replied. "You can harden your heart and pretend that he's not hurt you. In the end you'll want to retaliate some way- somehow. If you can't resolve this then you need to get away from him. That goes for trust, too. It seems to me that Snape doesn't know how to do anything else but hurt people, but I don't believe there is any evidence that shows he can't be trusted; at least now that we know his doppelganger killed Dumbledore."

"How do you do it, Hermione?" Harry asked. "He's been terrible to you and you've always backed him up."

She smiled and reached for his hand and said softly, "I can survive humiliation and embarrassment, Harry. I can survive his cutting remarks and his rudeness. What hurts me the most is when he does it to you, because you're my friend. I'd rather he attack me then you because I hate to see you suffer."

"That's what makes me so mad," Harry griped. "He does it to everyone.

She shrugged and nodded in agreement, saying, "He seems to have a special need to focus on you. However, I'll say it again. We don't know that he's evil, if we define evil as a person who does atrocious, vile acts against someone and makes them suffer. We don't know that he's ever done that. He's just thoroughly.....unlikable."

"He carries the dark mark," Harry protested.

She nodded again and replied, "I believe that he was lured to evil at one time. We know he was using dark magic while he was still at Hogwarts, but to truly be evil is to not have a conscience and not care. You've faced true evil, Harry. You, more than anyone, should know the difference. Does he have a...a soul, does he care about anything? You know I can't speak for him but I know Dumbledore trusted him and that means I have to trust him. I don't think Dumbledore was easily misled and he had years to know and understand Snape."

Harry thought about it and continued to stare out across the meadow. He was going to have to make a decision fairly quickly about what his next step would be. Something told him that this place, his parent's home and the valley itself, held special meaning. He knew he was not a seer and could not forecast the future, but he felt it in his bones.

"Hermione," Harry began, "he loved my mother. I went to Dumbledore's office and there was a portrait there of a woman who was Dumbledore's fiancée . She died before they could marry and she told me about Snape and my mother."

Hermione stared at him with questioning eyes and asked, "Has that been on your mind then, Harry? Are you wondering about your mother? Whether she was faithful to your father or something?"

Harry shook his head and answered firmly, "No. I believe that she loved my father. I also think my mother was a kind person who would have tried to be kind to everyone, even Snape." He was thinking of the incident he witnessed in the Pensieve and watching Snape cruelly call his mother a 'mudblood'. He couldn't understand that. _If he loved her why call her that unless it was to get back at my dad or Sirius._

"Harry, unless you are willing to talk to him about it directly then it's no use worrying over it. We have to decide what to do next." She shivered in the bright sunlight and said, "After last night I think we have days, not weeks, before a full-scale war breaks loose. I mean I don't think those werewolves were meant just for us, I think they are wandering the countryside attacking whoever they find. Dementors will be next or maybe a giant if they haven't killed themselves off."

"Hermione, I think I know where another one of the Horcruxes are and I need to go back to check if I'm right." Harry stood and stretched, rolling his shoulders. It had been a long night and a tense one. Now that they were relatively safe he needed to decide what to do. "We need a place to work on them and make plans."

She smiled and said, "You said 'we'. That sounds encouraging. Are you willing to accept our help now, Harry?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "What about Snape?"

He groaned and shook his head, still undecided.

"Harry," she began, "If you are going to use him, them use him. Let's go ask him about Horcruxes and how to destroy them. With the information you have from Slughorn and the information I've managed to find maybe we can do something about them. You might also listen to his advice."

Harry glared out at the meadow and then nodded.

"Right then," she said quickly and slipped off the stone fence. "Let's go talk to him. Maybe we could go back to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. It might still be safe. Lupin can find us there and if we go back to Hogwarts then we can go from there."

Harry pulled himself up and nodded again. "I don't want you to be disappointed if I don't start the new term at Hogwarts, Hermione."

She shrugged and took his hand. "Come on. Remember Harry that you have a lot of friends there. Don't take that lightly. I've made the decision to live here among witches and wizards after I leave Hogwarts and I think that I'm going to depend on those friendships for awhile."

"By the way," he began, "I'd like to return to the Huxley's just to let them know I didn't run out on them and steal their money. It'll take a little time and then I'll join you wherever we end up." They walked for a few minutes before he spoke again. "Did you really bring Krum here to find Karkarov?"

She nodded. "I really did Harry even though Ron doesn't believe it. I wanted a person who was a previous Death Eater. But now we have Snape."

Harry nodded.

"The Huxley's sound like a very nice couple," Hermione said, changing subjects..

They walked along the dusty road towards the little cottage hidden in a small hollow in between hills and trees.

"Harry," Hermione said. "There's Ron. Let him catch up. I want to talk to you both about something." They turned and saw Ron walking swiftly towards them.

"Hello," he announced a little out of breath. "Well that's done. Mum's really unhappy. I told her a little about the castle," he nodded towards the looming castle on the hill, "and how we got stuck inside." He raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I told her about Lupin and Snape..." He puffed his cheeks and blew out his breath. "I hate being the one to tell her anything!" he finished. "She's going to contact dad and then send a message to McGonagall and Tonks. They'll do the rest."

"Hermione and I have been talking a bit," Harry began. "Let's go back to the house. Hermione, go ahead and tell us what you wanted to say."

They strolled abreast of one another and Hermione talked as they walked. "It only makes sense that the Dark Lord would be hunting down his Horcruxes, Harry. He might have had them in a safe place before he went to....kill... your parents," she stuttered and then went on, "but we know the diary ended up with Lucius Malfoy and he didn't even know what it was. It took a bit of doing for Albus to find the Gaunt ring because he only just did that and then he said that he found the cave where the locket was."

"What are you saying," Harry asked, slowing their walk. They were nearing the house and he wanted her to finish before they got there.

"They are scattered about because no one knows what they are. Which is good because he has to find them, too. It's really a race to who finds them first. He's a bit ahead of the game because he knows what they are."

He nodded and replied, "Yeah, I see your point."

"You say you think you know where one is," she said. " We have the locket and it may or may not be viable. We don't think it's the sword and it's probably not the Gryffindor Sorting hat." She stopped and the three stood in the dusty road conferring. "Well...he's secretive isn't he? He doesn't want anyone to know about them. On the other hand the more people on our side that KNOW, the better off we are. We can do a search," she said energetically.

Ron and Harry stared at her without speaking.

"What?" she asked looking from one to the other. She suddenly looked grumpy. "Do you have a better idea? I know you don't like the idea of returning to Hogwarts, Harry, but Lupin will be there, the D.A. are there and can help, it's fortified, and we can check out Dumbledore's Pensive and....." She pinched her nose and stared at the house. They were at the garden gate. "If we can persuade McGonagall to let Snape come back," she nodded at the house, "perhaps keep him hidden there or something, then he will be a big asset."

"Asset?!" Ron said, in a monotone. "I can think of a better word."

"Harry?" Hermione ignored Ron's comment and turned to him.

He turned without answering and headed into the house.

"Mr. Snape?" Hermione began. He was seated in the lounge reading a book and looking very relaxed, although there were lines of fatigue in his face. He was clean and dressed in fresh clothing. The bloody remnants of the battle were gone.

He glanced up and sat the book aside. All three of them were facing him.

"We have a few questions to ask you," Harry said.

Snape looked at them with narrowed eyes and suspicion and then waved at the seats nearby.

"First, we need to know how to identify you every time we meet," Hermione said, leading the questions. Harry glanced at her feeling a little miffed that she interrupted, but let her do it because her question was the first he wanted to ask.

She continued, "We can't be asking you questions every time your double shows up because it would waste time." She produced something from her pocket and handed it to him. It was a mirror.

He raised and eyebrow as if surprised. "I see." He turned the mirror so that they could see his reflection and then laid it on a table next to his book. "You know something of Doppelgangers then, Miss Granger."

"Yes. Thank you that was very helpful," she said, with a sigh. She glanced at Harry and he nodded to her to continue. "Could you tell us more about Doppelgangers. I know a little, but..... well....it would be nice to know if you can rid yourself of it and if you can then perhaps we can take advantage of it and use it....and...and....I realize that it is a horrible thing but...." she stopped suddenly, looking nervous, "if you would be willing to do something like that...."

"Go on," Snape said, slowly.

She looked as if she had made her mind up and then rushed on, "Then the second thing we'd like to discuss with you are the Horcruxes." He remained silent and Hermione continued, "We need to discuss how to find them, you know, identify if an object is a Horcrux and then we'd need your help with them when we do find them because they are very dark magic and....."once again she stopped and seemed to lose steam.

Snape glanced at Harry, studied him and then turned back to her, again remaining silent.

"It seems that Harry doesn't seem as affected by them as other people do and that'll be a help," she continued. "We need to know how to handle them so that people aren't hurt or possessed by Vol..." she looked at his face and finished..."the Dark Lord."

"Anything else, Miss Granger?' he asked, in his deep voice.

She nodded and Harry broke in, "Hermione has suggested that we return to Hogwarts. She thinks it's safer and we can get some help in searching for these objects. I haven't made up my mind about that but if we do, WE think you should return with us."

Snape rose to his feet immediately, although his facial expression and tone of voice didn't change. "That would be reckless and foolish of me to do that!"

Harry glared back. "Do you have a better place to go?!"

Snape drew himself up to his full height and said, "Don't mistake my current compliance for weakness, Potter. I'm capable of being a very dangerous man."

"Harry!" Hermione stepped between them first frowning at one and then the other. "Mr. Snape. I think that it is the only place that you'll be safe."

"Draco Malfoy was here with me and ran away," Snape said. "I doubt that he will return to his own home or seek out his father, at least not right away. He does know how to contact him and send him here. Lucius would be more then happy to find me. I think we cannot wait for Mr. Lupin any longer." Snape turned and picked up a valise.

"We were going to go to Grimmauld Place," Ron said. "I've told mum and she'll tell dad that you aren't Dumbledore's murderer...." he stopped when Snape stopped and stared at him. "We thought the more people that knew the better off you would be, so you could help us," he finished and then looked at Harry as if for advice.

Harry was still trying to decide what he wanted to do with Snape if anything. "I haven't made up my mind about going back to Hogwarts," Harry said. "I think I'd like to remain anonymous for awhile longer. I don't care for the Ministry or for anyone else to know my whereabouts just yet."

Hermione raised and eyebrow in an expression of frustration and cocked her head as she always did when he wasn't happy with her ideas. However, Snape looked as if he agreed with the idea. "However," he continued, "I think Grimmauld Place is still safe. Do you agree?"

Harry waited for a moment. He took a second to glance at the table where Snape had laid the mirror and noticed it was gone. His own trunk had somehow mysteriously arrived and was sitting rather forlornly in the middle of the room. Snape saw him search the room and there was a hint of new respect in his eyes.

"I think it urgent that we find a safer place to talk," Snape said. "The two of you go ahead and we will follow. If you please," he said and held the door open.

Ron and Hermione immediately apparated from the front garden with the familiar little pop! that resounded afterward. That left Snape and Harry alone.

" I will find my way to Grimmauld Place," Harry said, cautiously. "I have several errands to complete and I will be there tonight before dark."

Snape stared at him as if trying to ascertain whether he was speaking the truth or not. Harry was careful to not look him directly in the eyes, but wondered if he could defend himself now. He had practiced his Occlumency during the summer but not against a wizard and he didn't want Snape to pry into his mind at this moment. 

"I will do as you ask, Mr. Potter," Snape said. "I will go to Grimmauld Place only because I think it is safe at the moment." Harry nodded and Snape continued, "I think you should know that it's possible that Lupin has been caught or delayed in some way. He would have returned here at dawn, I am almost sure of it. Which means he is still in the castle," his eyes drifted that way, "or he escaped the castle and fled into the forest where he was assaulted by other werewolves; or he has been captured."

Harry frowned. The thought had not crossed his mind that Remus wasn't with them because he was in danger. He turned to stare at the crumbling white stone castle and then turned back to Snape without speaking.

"You will get no special treatment from me, Potter," Snape said, coldly. "I have always believed that Dumbledore coddled you. Once others become aware of the Horcruxes they will take the matter out of your hands. You are an underage wizard and regardless of whether they believe you to be the Chosen One or not, the Ministry will want to handle this."

"You don't understand do you?" Harry asked. "You think I'm being arrogant once again because I want to destroy the Horcruxes and then have first crack at Voldemort. You think I want to do all of this myself. Well I do, but it's not because I have a big head and want the notoriety." He laughed derisively. "I'm not a fool, Snape. I'm pretty sure I won't survive long enough to even get close to him, but I want to kill him. I want to be the one because he killed my parents and he is a murderer."

"Because you believe in the Prophecy?" Snape asked, with disdain.

Harry glared at him. "You told him about the Prophecy and it got my parents killed. Perhaps, I should turn you in."

Snape's scowl was very familiar. "For your information Potter, I told Pettigrew so that he could warn your parents. I did not know he was a servant of the Dark Lord's."

Harry had readied his broom to mount it and was so surprised that it slipped from his grasp.

Snape glanced at the surrounding woods, being ever vigilant. "I will make some inquiries about Lupin and meet you at Grimmauld Place before nine o'clock. Try not to get yourself killed or captured in the meantime, Potter."

...

Lupin awoke in his own naked human body in a cell. It was an empty room without a lamp and smelled of rot and mildew. He studied the area visible in the light that crept in through a dust-covered single window and then rolled his head back to look at the ceiling and groaned. He always knew that there would be a point in time when he was either captured or killed by Voldemort and his days had been numbered. He could not really blame himself for any neglect in being careful since he had not been human at the time.

The last thing he remembered was climbing the steps to Godric Gryffindor's castle and that was all. There were short glimpses of what happened after; Snape barricading the door, seeing Hermione and Ron and Harry there and then he heard the howls of his own kind and it made his blood run hot. He wanted to join them and run through the night with the eye of the white moon always overhead, watching.

Remus knew that what was waiting for him now was not going to be pleasant. In fact, he knew that Voldemort would take pleasure in torturing him before killing him or even more pleasure in turning him over to Fenrir. His own kind would not be gentle either. He was a traitor to them.

He closed his eyes and chose to think about his life and his friends. It had been over seventeen years and it was the only time that he had been truly happy. The years at Hogwarts and the few-very few- years following. After that it had been a struggle just making it in the human wizard world where he was not accepted or welcome. Yet he could not go back to the werewolf world where the half-humans there lived in poverty and despair and became less human every day.

It took one kill and they began to lose their humanity. It was James and Lily and Sirius that had kept that from happening to him and Fenrir- his creator- resented it. From then on Remus had worked to remain human, going to great lengths to find a potion master who could make the complicated elixir that would keep him in human form. He had paid a price for it, creating many enemies.

What he regretted most was not knowing that Sirius had been innocent and having missed the opportunity to be with his last remaining friend and the horror of knowing that he had abandoned him to survive in Azkaban. Remus lay on the cold wood floor and once again would allow himself no pity for his discomfort. Sirius had suffered a hundred times more then he.

Lupin finally sat up and tucked his knees up under his chin and encircled his legs with his arms and sat waiting. He tried to remember Godric's Hollow and the little bungalow as it was when Lily and James were there. He remembered warm summer days when they would all strolled over the hill and down to the little lake where they could cool their feet in the water and talk and laugh and play. It had lasted such a short time.

Remus could even remember their conversations and as he thought of them he was reminded of how naive and innocent they had all been. They talked about Voldemort and how it was so frightening to realize that few witches and wizards really opposed his predation on half-muggle and muggle born. It seemed his entire life centered around fighting a war that had not ever really happened.

People died and disappeared and ended up in Azkaban, but there was no outright war and he wanted one; he wanted one very badly to bring it all out into the open. He wanted people to choose sides- face each other- and battle until there was a victor.

He was now feeling slightly upset that he would miss out. He wanted one last glorious battle to take them all on. To stride out onto a field of battle and take his rage out on all of them and particularly Voldemort who was nothing more then a glorified half-breed himself. He wanted to die fighting and not tortured to death, naked and helpless.

Then there was Harry. Remus recalled the boy as an infant and the look in his father's eyes when he held him for the first time. It was at that moment that Lupin knew that he loved both Lily and James, really loved them as if they were his own brother and sister. And the child that they had with the dark unruly hair and the dimpled cheeks was more precious to him then his own life. Together, Sirius, Peter, Lily and James and Harry became his world.

Lupin got to his feet and paced the room. The other memories that followed, and had to follow the good ones, were the memories of hearing of their deaths from Dumbledore and arriving to find their bodies, seeing Dumbledore hand over the small child to Hagrid who took it off into the night on Sirius' motorcycle. He remembered his agony at watching Sirius also tear off into the darkness raging against their betrayer.

"Harry cannot go with you, Remus," Dumbledore had said. "You cannot take the child and raise him."

What he had not put into words was, _'You can't do this Remus because you are a werewolf. How can a werewolf protect and raise a child? How can you go after Sirius and stop his impetuousness when it is so close to a full moon?'_

The taste in his mouth was bitter as he stared at the window and knew that his chances of escape were poor. He was in a building and possibly on the third or fourth floors. There was no hope of descending to the ground without help and he was wandless.

He stopped when he heard a sound in the corridor outside the room. _So it is time? _he thought_. They are coming for me._

He was mildly surprised when the doorknob turned, and a tall man stepped into the room holding his wand on him. It was Snape. _But is it the real Snape_? he wondered.

"Lupin," the deep voice echoed slightly in the vacant room.

"Hello, Snape," Remus said, casually. "Come to kill me?"

"If I had wanted to kill you I would have done it already," Snape said.

"Come to take me to Voldemort?" Remus asked curiously. He turned back to the window and realized that it reflected the contents of the room. It was vague but still a reflection and the room was empty. _Ah, _he thought, _it is the double_. He knew that a Doppelganger cast no reflection in a mirror. Still the double was solid enough and no less dangerous.

"I do not serve the Dark Lord," the double said.

"What then?" Remus asked, once again turning to him.

"I have a Doppelganger," Snape said. "I believe the Dark Lord made it and used it to kill Dumbledore. I want your help in tracking it down and getting rid of it."

Remus leaned back in surprise. _He doesn't know he is the double_, he thought in astonishment.

The double waved his wand and Remus found himself clothed and feeling a little warmer. Snape waved the wand again and there was a table fully laden with a supper.

"I will return for your answer Lupin in one hour," Snape said and left as he had come.

Harry found his way back to his parent's house very quickly. The day was already almost gone and he wanted to be back to the Huxley's, give them some kind of explanation for his disappearance and then go to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. He felt that there was still a lot to be resolved before he made his mind up about anything. And he wanted two Horcruxes in his hands; the locket and possibly something he might find here, if he could get them. He felt sure that at least one of them was beyond him now and Voldemort had retrieved it.

He swooped down into the yard and stood under a spreading elm tree in the shade studying the house before venturing into a possible trap. He'd only been gone a short time but he had learned to be cautious. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

He once again entered and studied each room he passed into. Harry felt sure that if there was a Horcrux left behind it would not be on the lower floors but he wanted to make sure. Snape had covered his tracks and there was no sign that the dust had been disturbed. Harry moved through the dim light and did the same, glancing back to make sure his footsteps were not left behind.

He climbed the stairs that led to his parents bedroom and to the nursery. He could easily imagine what that night was like. Voldemort killed his father as he stood outside guarding the house. The evil wizard had stepped over the body and entered the house and started up these stairs.

Harry knew exactly which door would open into the nursery. He used one hand to push it open and listened for a moment before stepping in. Like the rest of the house, nothing was disturbed. Other than the fact that everything was covered in dust, the room was untouched. The bedclothes in the crib were still pushed aside as if his mother had lifted him from it and held him in her arms, trying to protect him.

Harry felt a chill as he stared at the crib and imagined her facing Voldemort, knowing that she was about to die.

He found the strength to glance around the room. On a side table near the door, in full view, sat a statue of a Phoenix. As he had surmised, Voldemort had made a Horcrux by killing his father. He sat it on the table before facing Harry's mother and the infant Harry. But he could not collect it and leave because he'd been banished, without a body.

Harry looked at the object and slowly reached for it.

And then he heard the noise. A slight popping sound. It could mean only one thing. Someone had apparated outside.

He drew his wand and swished it in a tight circle and the object disappeared. A second later he followed.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

McGonagall was feeling a little overwhelmed. Molly Weasley had flooed into the fireplace and proceeded to relate events that she was still trying to come to terms with and then within minutes of this Percy Weasley was also standing in her office as a messenger of the new Minister of Magic, Scrimgoer. He indicated, with some satisfaction in his voice, that a Mr. Harry Potter was wanted at the Ministry for questioning. It was discovered by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement that Harry had apparated only minutes before; not only had he done so, but he done a side-along apparation.

An owl arrived only minutes after that from the head of Magical Law Enforcement asking if she knew of Mr. Potter's current whereabouts or his current known address.

Molly Weasley was facing off with Percy, hands on her hips and McGonagall was about to intervene- she'd seen Molly angry before- when another owl arrived, circled the room and landed on her desk. Papers went flying and she was getting them in order for the second time and reading the post only to discover that it was from Hermione Granger reporting that not only had Lupin not returned but the real Snape was with Harry.

"You can tell Rufus...." Mrs. Weasley was saying to her son in a shrill voice.

"Molly, please," McGonagall cut across her and addressed Percy. "Mr. Weasley."

"The Minister says that if you are aware of Harry Potter's location that you should let him know or pass the message along that he is wanted in regards to his use of underage magic."

"I know what Rufus Scrimgeour wants," McGonagall said, coldly. "Tell him I do not know where Mr. Potter is, I wouldn't tell him if I did and if Harry apparated, then he did it because he was in danger and Rufus should know that without me having to tell him or sending a messenger to me. And he should know better then to bother me about it! He also gave permission for Harry to practice magic this summer, which should include apparating and I'd like a satisfactory answer as to why he has changed his mind. Is that understood, Mr. Weasley?"

"When are you going to learn Percy..." Molly Weasley began, "You are on the wrong side and your father..."

She was mid-sentence when Percy turned abruptly , threw some powder in and stepped into the cold fireplace once again. A green fire obliterated his face and then he was gone leaving his mother red-faced and standing mouth agape in the middle of the room. "I can't believe I bore that child in my own womb," she said, scathingly.

"Molly, I'm going to write a short letter and I'd like you to deliver it to Miss Granger at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Ron is with her. It seems we've lost our Mr. Snape and Mr. Lupin and Mr. Potter all in one fell swoop." Her voice rose an octave as she raised her hands up as if calling it all a lost cause. "And here I thought we'd just found them all again."

"Good gracious, Minerva!" Molly exclaimed. "Of course, I'll go right away."

"Round up Mad-Eye Moody if you can, and Tonks," McGonagall added. She sat at the desk that had been Dumbledore's and scratched out a hasty note. "Let me know as quickly as you can if Snape should show up or Lupin.....or Harry." She shook her head and dripped hot wax on the folded letter and placed her stamped seal on it. "Doppelgangers and murderers who are not murderers!" she snapped, her hand coming down like a hammer on the hot wax.

Molly was headed for the door.

"Best to let other members of the Order know about Snape before they get wand-crazy and start firing off spells left and right!"

Molly nodded and hurried out.

...

The very fact that the Voldemort's wizards or Death Eaters could find him so quickly was unnerving and he was reasonably sure that it was because he had the little Phoenix statue on his person. His scar still ached but was not burning when he dropped it in his pocket and it left his hand. He was considering the idea that Voldemort had placed a Protean Charm on each Horcrux and have it send a beacon of sorts when he wanted to check on them. It was much like the Dark mark he placed on his Death Eaters or the gold galleon Hermione had given each D.A. member so that they would be informed of meeting times. If that were true, he decided, then He would have gathered them to him before now and so dismissed the idea.

He'd gone to the only place he could think of in that instant and it had been Private Drive.

He was thinking about all of this and standing in Mrs. Figg's garden wondering just what to do next when he looked down the street and saw his last home in ruin. It was the Dursley's house and it was a burnt-out shell. The sight was startling even to him. He had no way of knowing whether his Aunt or Uncle and his cousin were still alive. He hoped that they were even if he had no strong feelings for them.

_Whatever possessed me to come here_, he wondered. He knew the answer. He had never traveled anywhere extensively and when in need he resorted to the places he knew best. He did not want to use magic anymore then needed.

He did the only thing he could and once again apparated, this time to the boundaries of Hogwarts. Hagrid's hut was a welcome sight when he stepped through the gate. The tomb of Albus Dumbledore was stark white against the green lawns and he avoided looking at it as he walked through the gates and headed up towards the school..

Snape was drawn to the house on Nightingale street almost against his will. He intended to do just what he had told Potter he was going to do and try and find Lupin. He knew that he needed the man to confirm to the other members of the Order that he had seen the Doppelganger, so there would be no questions and no one would inadvertently try and use a spell on him. He could easily deflect a spell but the wizard or witch throwing it would be hurt when he reciprocated.

He didn't doubt that it was his Doppelganger that had drawn him to his ancestral home. He studied the house from the street. Although he still owned the property and house, he had not been there since he was sixteen. It was in a park that had no neighbors and hidden by a large grove of trees and overgrowth. The windows were all dark and there were no signs of life. Still, he was almost sure that his double was there. Snape knew enough about them to avoid looking at the other Snape directly and also knew many of the other risks involved.

He started down the drive towards the house wondering why he didn't just give up on Lupin, shy away from the house and go on his way to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. He heard the voice and fought the urge to turn and look at the speaker. It was his double.

"Leave this property!" the voice said coldly. "They will find out that you are a liar; that you killed Dumbledore and lied about it."

Snape stopped and stared at the building. When there were no other words from his shadow, he continued towards it. The light was receding under the canopy of trees and he knew the sun was getting lower in the sky. He knew if he responded to the double it would attach itself to him and he would be haunted day and night by it. At the very least, it could only talk to him if it found him. Unattached, it wandered around in a vague sort of third dimension until it sensed him and then would appear and make threatening noises but could not do much harm; not unless he listened.

The Granger girl had an idea that was intriguing him and he hadn't had a chance to think about the details. It was almost impossible to rid oneself of a Doppelganger but no one had experienced these particular set of circumstances. He had not made it and therefore might be able to destroy it -or as Granger had suggested- use it as a weapon.

_If you can turn one on me, Lord Voldemort, _he thought, _I can send my double back to you wrapped in a great big ribbon_. _My treat! _Snape realized he would need help to do it and knew Lupin to be an accomplished wizard, even if he was subhuman.

He began the search of the old house, knowing every room by heart. He tried to force past memories from his mind as he moved from room to room. Little had changed since he had abandoned the place other then it was slowly going to ruin. His mother was long since dead, his father imprisoned in a muggle prison. Even his own room held no fascination for him. It was covered with cobwebs and the dust of many years.

He moved on to the room he thought he would have used to house a prisoner, if it had been he that had captured Lupin. He surmised that his Doppelganger would more then likely think as he did and he could see that was an advantage and a disadvantage.

By the time he arrived at the house it was almost dark and the flame-red rays of the last of the sun were fading into the indigo night. All the while he was followed by a shadow that whispered vile words in his ear. There was a hint of insanity to the words. "They will never believe you. I will tell them stories and you will live out your life in Azkaban."

Lupin looked up when he opened the door. Snape could immediately tell that the man saw two of them as his eyes switched back and forth.

"The moon is about to come up," Snape said. "I know that you see two of us but we have no time to discuss this. I need to mix the potion for you and there is nothing here in this house to use. We need to apparate to Hogwarts. It is a chance I have to take to go there and I will not wait but a moment for you to make up your mind."

"If you go with him he will take you to the dark lord," the other said.

Lupin was immediately on his feet. "Will there be enough time?"

"No! This one lies to you. He wants to get you away from here so that he can kill you," the double admonished. "He will turn you over to Fenrir."

Snape reached in his pocket and pulled out the rather ridiculous looking mirror with pink trim that Hermione Granger had given him. He handed it to Lupin who turned it so that he could look at both of them. Snape's double immediately evaporated.

"Let's go," Lupin said and stepped into the hall.

Snape stopped him with a hand on his arm and said, "I will do this for you if you will help me rid myself of the Doppelganger."

Lupin stared for a minute at him and nodded and then added, "Help me destroy the Horcruxes then."

Snape nodded in agreement and actually smiled slightly in the growing dark. _Yes, use my Double – send it back to the Dark Lord. Very convenient, very useful._ He was beginning to see what the Granger girl was trying to imply.

"I think Potter and the other two will try and do that first Lupin," Snape said.

Lupin was shaking his head. "Not if I can help it. I don't intend to let Harry try. If there is one thing I can do it's to keep him safe from that. Besides, I think the Dark Lord had one of the Horcruxes. I saw him take something away from Gringott's."

Snape's eyebrows went up at the news.

Lupin nodded and continued, "You've been away and haven't seen the Daily Prophet then. It was headline news. He visited Gringott's and I happened to be there at the same time." They continued down the hall intending to apparate on the grounds. Many of the old houses had enchantments to prevent apparation from inside. Snape mansion was no different. "It was probably the cup, the Hufflepuff Cup. We can hope that the locket that Ron found is destroyed and that leaves only two other objects."

"It is not the Gryffindor sword," Snape said. He explained what had happened in the castle after Lupin had transformed.

"Do you know how to destroy them?" Lupin asked.

Snape studied him for a moment and then nodded. "I have an idea. There is information at Hogwarts. Albus kept the Dark Arts books safely in his office. It's best if we hurry Lupin so I will have time to prepare the potion for you."

They reached the entrance to the old house and both looked back once before apparating. A figure stood in the upper story window and glared down. It was the Doppelganger.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen Lily

Harry stepped onto the Hogwarts grounds and saw the white mausoleum that was Dumbledore's grave site. He stopped for only a moment, pulled the phoenix statue from his pocket, gave his wand a slight whirl and twist and dropped the bouquet of flowers into a receptacle at the foot of the tomb. He was getting used to transforming Voldemort's Horcruxes into other objects and felt sure that the phoenix- now turned flowers- would not be discovered.

He was just about to step away when he heard muffled sounds in the dark and slipped into the deep shadows to the side of the tomb away from the path and waited; wand at the ready.

"Tell me what you mean by the Hufflepuff cup?" Snape asked as they hurried through up the path through the stone lions at the boundaries of Hogwarts.

"I looked into Albus' Pensieve, Severus," Remus began and then pulled up short when Snape whirled on him.

"Where is the Pensieve now?" Snape asked. The anger in his voice was evident even in the dark.

Remus stood still, confronting Snape. They were feet away from the mausoleum. "It is safe. We have encapsulated it and stored it in the library. I understand your feelings Severus, but it was the only way to find out what he knew and what was going on. That's how Minerva and I discovered the Horcruxes."

There was a moment of silence and Harry moved around the side of the stone tomb being careful to remain hidden and quiet.

"What else did you discover?" Snape asked coldly.

Remus, unaware of the memories stored there by Snape, responded casually, "It seems that Albus involved Harry in the whole thing. They went hunting one of these things together the night he was...was killed." He stopped and Harry leaned in to listen. "Would you know why he would do such a thing? He knew how dangerous they were. He injured himself in destroying one. Why would he take Harry on such a dangerous mission?"

"I believe," Snape said in his stoniest voice, "Dumbledore thought there was something special about Potter that would ultimately be our saving grace, Lupin. I think he believed he was the Chosen One. I don't think we should count on it."

"I need you to help me keep him out of this if it's possible," Remus said.

Harry could not see Snape's expression and it forced him to take another step forward.

"We have no time for this discussion. The moon will be rising soon."

Lupin pursued it. "Something may happen to me. There's no one left to watch over him and he's still just a young man. I know you don't like Harry..." Remus stopped and then spoke again. "Lily would have wanted us to protect him."

"I knew that this would come up eventually Lupin," Snape snarled and turned away. "For your information I made that pledge to her eighteen years ago. In your hurry to come to the aid of your friend, _Potter,_ you neglected to evaluate the situation before taking action. If you had you would have realized that I was not there to harm Lily, I was there to warn her of the peril. Your actions kept me from saving her. However, to my ultimate despair, my spell did save her son and I have continued to protect him for all of these years. Where were you, Lupin?" Snape's scathing voice punched the darkness and seemed to stun the man and to the boy. "I knew what was in Lily's heart and mind. Did you?"

Harry gripped his wand tightly in his hand.

Snape whirled around and headed for the castle at a fast pace and Remus hesitated a moment before following.

Harry stepped in behind him, their conversation whirling in his mind.

…

Severus stood on the small dock and studied the woman's face before him. She was pretty. He'd always thought so even when she was angry as she was now.

"What do you mean that you overheard a prophecy involving Harry?" she demanded.

He had not seen her since their conversation in the forest on the night of her wedding. He was full of guilt and now she was angry with him.

"I can't be certain Lily," Snape said quietly. It seems that it could be one of two children born at the time. I didn't hear all of it."

"But you told Riddle..." she said, her green eyes watching his own. "Voldemort!" The last she hissed. "What rubbish! Severus you need to get as far from him as you can. I've pleaded with you. It will only end badly for you."

"I told Pettigrew so that he could warn you when the time comes I didn't tell Lord...Riddle anything important. I heard only part of their conversation," Severus replied. It didn't matter that he had not known that the prophecy might have concerned her son. It was enough to know that he had placed some child in danger.

He did not know why his life was taking this direction. It always seemed that he followed a darker path, destined to lose everyone he had ever cared about.

"And now you want to protect me and my son?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in mock surprise. "Really! Well no thank you. You can leave now. I am not afraid of Voldemort or his Death eaters."

She glanced at his arm where he taken the Dark Lord's mark. He wanted to cover it with his hand even though it was already covered by the sleeve of his cloak.

"Please, Lily." This time he could hear the pleading in his own voice. He couldn't help it. This was Lily.

"You're asking me to allow you to use dark magic on me and my son so that we can be saved, Severus. You know how I feel about that. "

"Yes." Severus glanced around with little awareness of the place where they stood. It was late fall and the scenery was very pretty. The golden leaves were falling from the trees and floating serenely along the shore of the little lake. She was dressed in warm clothes and had thrown a forest-green cloak over her gown to follow him to the dock. The sun was setting and it was chilly.

"I have to go," she said. "I've left Harry alone. You need to go, too. James will be home soon and Sirius will be with him."

"Lily." He caught her arm and pulled her to him. She raised her head and didn't resist the grip he had on her. He wanted nothing more then to lower his head and place a kiss on her soft mouth.

"You can do something for me, Severus," she said, her eyes softening. "If you are concerned about us then you can make a promise to me."

"Anything," he breathed. Her auburn hair was glistening in the late afternoon sun and he could feel the heat from her body penetrating his own cloak.

"Promise me that you will take care of my son and watch over him no matter what happens to me."

His eyes narrowed and he felt suddenly angry. He let her go without speaking.

"So," she asked, "you would protect me but you won't do the same for my son. Is that because he is James' son?"

They were standing very close and he could smell the scent of fresh flowers in her hair and on her skin. He wanted her to stop talking about Potter and his friends. He wanted her to put her arms around him and comfort him as she had done before, even though he knew that she could never...would never be his. He had used occlumency on her once when they were very young and it had enraged her. He had almost lost her friendship then. He knew he could not invade her privacy now.

"I...I promise you," he said and lowered his eyes. "I promise that I will watch over him and protect him even if it means my life." He felt her hand on his arm and looked up into her eyes. "Please let me use the blood spell, Lily."

"Yes, alright," she said finally. "But I want you to use the Candidas spell instead."

He frowned and searched his memory. _The Candidas spell_, he thought. _What is that? _And then he remembered. "But...but Lily. That will mean you must sacrifice yourself if your son is threatened. It would mean your death. No! I won't do it." He turned away and she pulled him back around.

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly and she smiled at him. "I trust you. If you perform the spell then I know you will keep your word about Harry."

He looked up over her head and stared at the view once again. _Of course, any mother would want to sacrifice themselves for their children. Hadn't his own mother? _He could not think of losing this woman. Perhaps he could fool Lord Voldemort, make him believe that the prophecy was about another child. "Bring the boy. He must be part of the charm."

She left and returned, cradling the infant. Snape glanced at the child and then closed his eyes. It was a complicated charm and he recited the words before pronouncing them and waving his wand over her head. A shower of golden sparks rained down over her before fading.

"I will do as you say," he said with a heavy sigh, stepping back, tucking his wand into his sleeve again. "However, I want you to use the Fidelius Charm and make someone your secret keeper. At least do that."

She nodded and smiled at him again, still unaware of just how much danger she was really in. Then her eyes drifted past him and the smile faded.

"No!" she shouted holding her hand up as if to ward off an attack. Severus had no time to turn before he felt the stinging spell hit him directly in the back. He was immediately infuriated and spun around, his wand pointed, and shooting a spell back. He pulled her and the child behind him to protect them from the spells being fired at him by James Potter and Remus Lupin.

He was now a very good match in terms of dueling, unlike his days in school when Potter and his cronies harassed him endlessly.

"Severus go!" Lily said from behind him and pulled away. "Apparate now!"

He did as she said after shooting a rather vicious spell at Potter. He did not see her again. It was Dumbledore who told him of her death.

…

Harry sought out the Room of Requirement. It was the only place that he could hide where no one could find him. Now that he was inside Hogwarts, it felt like he had come home. He walked before the invisible door several times, thinking very hard about the need to find a hiding place. When the door appeared and he stepped in he was surprised. It was an exact replica of his parent's home.

…

"I can't stand this, Ron." Hermione was pacing the lounge at Number Twelve Grimmauld place. It was late and no one had shown up; not Lupin, Snape or Harry.

Ron nodded in agreement. "What do you suppose we should do next. Where would we begin to look?"

She stared at him but her eyes were slightly out-of-focus as she thought about the situation. "If it were me," she began slowly, "and I were Harry I'd think about going back to Godric's Hollow..."

"But he could be in danger there!" Ron protested, cutting across her.

She glared at him. "I said I'd think about it. I don't actually think Harry would go back there. He might return to the Huxley's. He might have gone back to say goodbye, but I think that he would have left them fairly quickly. He knows he's being hunted." She stopped at a window and peeked out. The street was clear.

"He got away with hiding with them so far, Hermione," Ron said. "You want me to go and check it out?"

She looked back into the room. "That's not necessary Ron, even though the thought is appreciated." She smiled wanly at him. "Actually, I think Harry knows so very little about the wizarding world, that if threatened he would probably go to places that are familiar to him."

Ron was frowning. "So it would be my house, Diagon Alley maybe, here..." He wrinkled his brow. "There's a lot of places really after all he did go with Dumbledore. I mean if you take into account Hogsmeade and places like that..."

"Yes, exactly," Hermione said. " He went to a place he knows very well. I think that he went to Hogwarts. He might try to get Hagrid to help him."

Ron rose from the sofa. "That's easy enough to check." He headed for the door.

"Wait for me, Ron." She picked up her traveling cloak from the chair where she had thrown it and followed him down the hall.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen Peeves

At half past eight in the evening Peeves zoomed down the hall, talking to himself as usual, having the run of the almost empty castle. He didn't seem to have nearly as much fun when the school was not in session and tended to be even more mischievous to the point of being destructive than usual. Not for the first time in Hogwarts memory did the suits of armor in the hallway fall to the ground in pieces leaving Filch to rant and rave and threaten to rain destruction on Peeve's head ( all to no avail). He was about to do the dominos thing again, laying in midair with his bare toes within reach of the first full suit of armor, when Snape and Remus came walking up the hallway.

The poltergeist did not like the dark teacher, although Snape rarely bothered to even acknowledge his presence. Now, Peeves gazed in wonder as Snape and an almost perfect double presented themselves along with the werewolf, Remus Lupin.

"Doublezy-troublzy Snapey-Pooh," Peeves sniped. "Who's that handsome devil that's following you?" He laughed hysterically and zoomed into the rafters when one of the twin Snapes shot a freezing charm at him. It missed. He had gotten out of hand since Dumbledore's death and it seemed no one could tame him; least of all Snape, and the Bloody Baron was nowhere to be found.

The man, or his double, frowned at him and hurried on. Remus stopped and looked up. "Peeves have you seen anything of Harry Potter?" He spoke kindly and the poltergeist drifted down towards him pretending to be concerned.

"Why should we see Potty Wee Potter, Luney Lupin? Peeves asked. "Schoolzies is out and Hogwarts is our own. Those snot-nosed kidzies can stay away." He pouted and did what he had been daring to do for an hour. He blew a gust of wind towards the suits of armor and started them toppling towards one another. The noise was deafening. Lupin frowned and walked on, ignoring the rubble left behind.

The poltergeist surveyed his handiwork and floated along the corridor towards the main hall having missed Harry's entrance into the school. He was not as blind when Hermione and Ron walked in.

The two ignored his presence and stood talking in the entrance. Peeves was, if nothing, the ultimate eaves-dropper.

"Where do you think we should search?" Ron asked, looking around. "It looks abandoned doesn't it? Never been here when there wasn't someone around, Hermione. It's kind of spooky."

"Well why don't we check Gryffindor Tower first," Hermione suggested. "Maybe Professor McGonagall is in Dumbledore's office or her old office and we can check there." Her eyes drifted upwards and she stood staring at the poltergeist. There was a strange look on her face.

"What?" Ron asked looking around quickly. "What is it?"

"Peeves," she answered slowly, deliberately. "Peeves, the poltergeist."

Ron searched the ceiling and found him. "Yeah, what about him? He'll be shouting out for Filch if we're not careful. You there!" he shouted at Peeves. "Get away!"

Peeves took the opportunity to swoop down and yank at Hermione's hair. "Are we having a home-coming?" he sneered. "Come to see the werewolf?"

"Is he here then?" Hermione answered, pulling away in exasperation. "Is Remus Lupin here? Who's with him? Harry?"

Peeves cackled gleefully. "Won't tell! We shall call Filch. Filchy!" he screamed and did a double somersault off of a gargoyle near the ceiling and swam down towards them, doing a breast-stroke in mid-air off the tall tower, snorting and shooting raspberries in their direction.

"What do you want to ask him for?" Ron complained and turned away. "Have you gone mental? Peeves isn't going to tell you anything."

Hermione stood still and continued to stare at Peeves. "At least we know Lupin is here, Ron," she spoke quietly. "Ron?"

"Yeah, what?"

"Peeves is a poltergeist," she said.

"Spotted that one have you?" he said and glared up at the him, looking puzzled. "So what?"

"Aren't poltergeists supposed to be indestructible?" she asked. Ron shrugged and she shook her head slowly and turned away. "Let's go to Gryffindor Tower first." She moved away and it was Ron's turn to stare at Peeves before following.

Peeves zoomed off down the hall beside them, gliding along at eye level. They ignored him completely until he went off down another corridor looking for someone else to irritate.

It was almost the last place they looked and it was by chance only that the room revealed itself. They were passing the Room of Requirement and Ron was saying out loud, "We've just got to find him. We've got to find Harry. If he's not here then where is he? We've got to find him!"

He was pacing in the corridor and the door suddenly appeared. Hermione stared at it and then him and exclaimed, "Of course! Why didn't we think!" She hopped off the window sill she had been sitting on and walked to the door and opened it.

The lounge in Harry's parent's house was warm and cozy with a fire in the hearth and illuminated by lamps strewn about the room. Harry was sitting in a chair reading.

"Hello," he said and smiled at them.

...

At the same time, Lupus was swallowing the greenish-yellowish liquid that Snape had concocted which would prevent him from making the changes to a werewolf. He knew from experience that he would remain confined in the broom closet adjacent to Snape's potion's classroom since he could not control the feral emotions that often took over. However, he was safe to humans and mostly to himself.

"Potsy Potter friends are here!" Peeves announced as he hopped from shadow to shadow in the room. He was not often found in Snape's classroom or private residence and this was unusual. Snape glared at him and Remus handed the goblet back to him. "Don't know where Potter is."

"Sounds like we're all here together except for Harry," Remus commented. "Will you go find them and check on them?" He didn't bother to acknowledge the poltergeist's help.

Snape nodded and closed the door of the broom closet on him.

"And let me out in the morning will you?" he shouted through the door. Peeves sat up in the corner of the small room. "Let me outttttttt! Pleazzzzze!" he moaned and then giggled. "Do you suppose the doppelganger will let you out in the morning, Luney?"

Lupin stared at him and then turned back to the door. He had forgotten to check once again if he was in Snape's company or the doppelgangers'.

…

In the course of looking for Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, Snape stopped at McGonagall's classroom, saw it was empty and assumed that she was in Dumbledore's office. And although it had been the true Snape that had closed Lupin up in a room next to his office, he was not inclined to think much about him since he was safely tucked away for the night. Nor was he interested in traipsing all over the school looking for Potter's friends. Instead, he headed for the library, forgetting that he was the only one who knew where Remus was- that is-with the exception of Peeves.

...

"Harry you could have been caught!" Ron gasped when his friend told them about the narrow escape and apparating to Pivate Drive.

"I think that we all have to be careful about that," Harry said. "I don't know how they are locating us but they seem to be checking in on everyone I ever knew or at least keeping watch on them."

"To tell you the truth," Hermione broke in, "I'm glad we are here. This is a perfect hiding place. I have some ideas about destroying the Horcruxes and we are near the library. I can go in to research. I think that you two can try and figure out where the Hufflepuff cup might be. We have the locket."

Harry was nodding. "If I'm right, I think I have one of them, too. I brought it along and hid it out on Hogwarts grounds."

"Well you need to find Remus. I think maybe Snape is with him," Hermione said.

"He was. I overheard them talking on the grounds," Harry admitted. "I followed them in. I don't want them to know we are here just yet, Hermione." He begged her with his eyes to understand and not ask questions. She stared at him steadily for a few minutes and then turned her eyes away.

"What about Slughorn," Ron asked, "what did you learn from him?"

Harry grimaced. "I don't know that he was very helpful. He said that the object that holds a Horcrux can be destroyed but that doesn't necessarily destroy the piece of soul inside. There's a danger in believing that it's also gone. A person can be fooled. I don't believe he knew much."

"But how do you go about destroying it...the piece of soul.... without turning out like Dumbledore did?" Ron asked.

"A non-human can do it," Harry said. "That's what I've learned. I don't know all the details. The problem is, I can't put anyone at risk. I mean like Dobby or Firenze, or even Remus and Hagrid who are both half-human. I don't know any other non-humans."

"That's just it, Harry," Hermione began excitedly. "You do."

He frowned. "Like who?"

"Suppose we were to use someone like Peeves?"

Both Ron and Harry sat staring at her blankly.

"Don't look at me like that," she exclaimed. "Why not Peeves? Or for that matter.... Snape's Doppelganger?"

"I wouldn't mind getting rid of a few of Aragog's relatives," Ron admitted. They stared at him for a moment and then threw in more ideas.

"Like the three headed dog, Hagrid had guarding the Sorcerer's Stone," Hermione said.

"I wouldn't mind using a dragon or two," Harry said and broke into a grin. "Do you think a boggart could be used?"

"Better yet," Ron added, "Blast-ended skrewts. But how exactly do you use a creature to destroy a Horcrux?"

Harry rubbed his chin and studied the small room. It was identical to his parent's home, at least as far as he could see. He had not paid a lot of attention to it when he was there. Now he wished it were the real thing and he could be sitting by a fire chatting away with his friends about Quidditch instead of this topic. "I'm not saying it's going to be easy but from Slughorn's description it's a matter of transferring the soul into a different vessel- a creature," he explained. "He said something about an animal's soul and a human soul not being able to co-exist."

"Yes, but isn't Voldemort's snake a Horcrux?" Ron asked. "It didn't die."

"That's true but let's not let that stop us from considering it," Hermione added. "We know so very little about the whole thing I think I'll take advantage of the school being empty to go down to the library. You both might think about other ways to handle the problem."

"In the meantime, let's find a house elf and see if we can get something to eat," Ron said, smacking his lips, as if the other issue was now history.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Voldemort was angry, very angry. The Hufflepuff cup sat on a table in front of him. It was, however, not in sight but rather hidden by a box. He sat thinking about the others.

The diary was destroyed and for that he had punished Lucius severely. The wizard had been surprised at the intensity of his anger primarily because he had no idea that the object held one of his master's precious Horcruxes. And Voldemort did not want him to know. Nor did he want anyone else to know; not Lucius who was his second in command, not anyone. For someone to know would make him ever so vulnerable.

Yet, he had come to believe that his secret was no longer a secret and that Dumbledore had discovered it. Voldemort was hoping that it had died with him.

Still, there was a thought that seemed not to be his own and yet came from his own mind. It was distasteful to think that he shared his mind with the Potter boy but he had come to accept it. He had denied that this particular thought was not his own until his minions had come back to him and once again told him that Potter had escaped. And, he had escaped from Slughorn.

"I should have done away with that putrescent fat man the day he told me about the Horcruxes," Voldemort said under his breath. He recalled the day in his mind and how he had manipulated the teacher. He had played the part of the adoring student and now felt repulsed by the thought. _I should have told Dolohov to leave him to me_, he decided. _I'd rip his heart out and eat it while he watched! _

"Lucius!"

"What my Lord," Pettigrew exclaimed and stood before him bowing his head and refusing to look him in the eyes. "Did you require something?"

The evil wizard glared at the balding pate of the man before him and felt the urge to play with him, torture him and do away with him. He wanted to make the man suffer as he was suffering. The desire drew his thoughts once again away from the source of his anger and he forced himself to not act on the impulse.

"No! Go away Pettigrew!" he snarled. "I am trying to think!"

_Yes, _he told himself, as the pathetically horrid little man left him, _I must concentrate_. The diary, the ring, the cup, the Phoenix, the locket and the wedding picture. That's six.

But someone had discovered the locket. He had gone to the cave himself and found it missing. Only Dumbledore could have been clever enough to find that, he told himself. _But did he tell Potter_? he wondered. _Is that the shadow that haunts my thoughts? Are there now two of us that know about my Horcruxes? _And a thought that seemed to swim just below the surface of his subconscious pricked at his mind, _What happens when you lose a Horcrux?_

_I have got to find that boy!_

"Lucius!" he screamed, again.

Pettigrew scurried into view once again. "He is not here My Lord. He is still searching for Snape."

_Oh yes, I have forgotten_, Voldemort told himself. He had killed Narcissa using Snape's double. The man was hunting Snape down even now thinking that it was Snape who had killed her.

Voldemort grimaced and waved a hand towards Pettigrew who once again withdrew. He waved his wand nonchalantly and sent his Patronus out of the chamber. Moments later Lucius arrived. He dropped to his knee before him, his white hair caught in a beam of light. It looked almost like a halo. That was irritating.

"Have you found Potter, Lucius?" he asked. "Or have you been too busy searching for Snape. You know my priority is Potter. I want you to stop looking for Severus and find the boy!"

Lucius nodded and stood. "I have a dozen wizards searching for him, M'Lord. He was followed to the muggle neighborhood where he lived with his Aunt and Uncle. He had just seen Slughorn and you are aware of the outcome. The portrait of Mrs. Black at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place indicates that Potter is not there," he declared and then paused waiting for a response. He continued when there was none, "We are attempting to capture one of the Weasley's. Potter has fled to their home in the past."

"Is this so difficult to do, Lucius?" Voldemort asked, rising to his feet. "You cannot find even one of the Weasley's and interrogate them? Surely, you have enough men at your disposal to capture one of them. The girl, or one of the ginger-haired twins." He strolled to the window and stared out. "Find one of find them or find them all. Kill them one-by-one until they reveal Potter's whereabouts!"

"Yes, M'Lord," Lucius whispered.

"In the meantime, Lucius I am taking a little trip. I shall be gone for the next few hours," he said quietly.

"Do you require assistance, M' Lord?" Lucius asked. There was a hint of scorn in his tone.

Voldemort heard it and ignored it. Malfoy knew that he needed no assistance and was quite capable of taking care of himself. He wanted to return to Godric's Hollow and find the portrait. Then he would go back to the Gaunt's house. It was now in ruin and his spell would still be as powerful as it had been when he cast it. Muggles would find the house haunted and stay away. Wizards and witches would not bother with something that resembled an old shack. Besides there was no one left that knew his connection to the Gaunts. He had done away with them all. He would retrieve the ring. He would proceed to Godric's Hollow and find the portrait. He did not know where the Phoenix was. Like the diary fallen into someone else's hands and this worried him. He knew for a fact that Lucius did not have it.

He needed to gather the Horcruxes, those that were left, and protect them. Hopefully with Slughorn dead, there would be no one who would know how to destroy them.

He wondered if he should tell Lucius that Snape had a doppelganger. He might end up trying to kill the wrong Snape. Then he decided that the double would eventually haunt the real man to death leaving both he and Malfoy to concentrate on other things.

And then he decided to keep that to himself. He enjoyed the thought that Snape was suffering.

Madam Pince was gliding between aisles of the library, much as a ghost would move about. She never left the confines of the area unless she was forced to. She even had private quarters nearby and usually ate her meals there. Her life was with the dusty books that she thought of as her family. She was a very good witch, in terms of everyday life, but was ill-prepared when Snape stepped into the aisle where she stood. She could not have jinxed him or used a defensive spell even if her wand had been in her hand, although it wasn't at the moment. Her spell-work was only and ever had been for the books on the shelves.

"What....!" she exclaimed and almost dropped the book she held. She grabbed it in time and held it protectively to her chest.

Snape stared at her with his dark eyes. "Where are Professor Dumbledore's books? I have been to his office and they have been moved."

"They....why.....they are here of course!" she exclaimed. "Where else would they be? The collections of every headmaster since the beginning of time are in this library."

He nodded.

"If...if...you intend to hurt me..." she began and backed away.

He frowned. "I would have done so by now. I suggest you talk to Minerva McGonagall. She is aware of my situation. Right now I want to examine some of the books in Dumbledore's collection."

She nodded in the direction of the restricted section and watched him turn. She could not have denied him access since he could easily overpower her. But she did have the ability to block his access to any book on the shelves which she did promptly without his realizing it. _Really! _she thought. _How dare he return to Hogwarts! He acts like nothing has happened!_

She left her library, an extraordinary event, and headed for Dumbledore's office seeking out the new headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, leaving him to discover for himself that he could not touch any of the books..

At the same time, Hermione slipped into the library and studied the layout. Madam Pince was nowhere to be found and some of the books were hanging idly in the air waiting for instructions.

Hermione ducked around them, pulled off the invisibility cloak from her head and headed towards the restricted section. She found him there staring at the shelves with his hands on his hips. He was glaring. She removed the cloak and stuffed it in her bag before allowing him to see her.

"What is it Professor?" She stepped to his side. He acknowledged her by glancing at her and then back to the books.

"Pince has put a spell on the books. I can't remove them from the shelf," he growled.

"Oh," she replied and studied the books in front of her. Their titles revealed their dark nature. "I was thinking...".

"You needn't call me Professor," he said.

"All right," she said and continued. "I was thinking that you-know-who will be searching for..." she glanced at him and then turned back to the books, "you-know-what."

"Yes."

She raised her wand and thought for a moment before waving it slightly. Not only did it break the charm, it sent books leaping off the shelves to float complacently in front of them.

He glared at her.

"There," she said absentmindedly. "You-know-who will be looking for his you-know-whats in the places he last left them. If we have someone watching those places, perhaps we could lure him into a trap. Maybe leave a clue that he could follow."

"How did you do that?" he asked, staring at the floating books.

"I spend a lot of time here and Madam Pince showed me how to do an unlocking charm," she answered.

Snape reached for one of the volumes. He wore white cotton gloves that he had transfigured from thin air.

"What do you think?' she asked when he did not respond.

He had opened the book and was reading when she asked and he glanced up and said, "Aren't you getting ahead of yourself Miss Granger. You want to lure him into a trap and do what precisely?"

She felt the heat of his stare and wanted to shrug away from it. Instead she set her jaw and replied, "Well that's after we destroy the..." she looked around for Madam Pince and then lowered her voice, "the you-know-whats."

"By the way, Miss Granger, how do you know I am not my doppelganger?" he asked.

"I can see your reflection in the window," she said pointing at the window behind them. The light from the lamps reflected the objects in the room. "So I know a little bit about destroying them and Harry has learned more...."

"Where is Potter?" This time he looked up and waited for her answer.

"He's here," she said and reached for a book. "At Hogwarts."

"NO!" He grabbed her hand and kept her from touching the floating volume.

She stopped.

"Touch only what I tell you to touch and only with gloves." He dropped her hand.

"Thank you," she said and took a deep breath before pointing to one nearby. He read the title and nodded curtly. She used her wand to make a pair of gloves for herself appear. "I found two books in Knockturn Alley and Harry got information from Slughorn. If we find more here then I think we can destroy them. We have the locket..." she stopped and Snape stood watching her. She was ignorant of his stare and continued, " and maybe another one. So we can _try _to destroy them..." she flipped open the cover of the book. "Essentially, that's suppose to weaken Vol..." she stopped and started again after pausing, "you-know-who. That will be four out of six that are gone."

"You intend to lure him into Gryffindor castle," Snape said. "At least Potter alluded to that earlier."

"Did he?" she exclaimed. She was chewing on her lip and nodded. " Not bad. That's probably too simple. Maybe we need a more sophisticated plan. But the castle certainly seems to have some special qualities. Vol...You-know-who, is still a wizard just like the rest of us, even if he has special skills... and is possibly immortal." She shrugged and then shrugged again. "Why couldn't he become trapped just like we were?"

Snape stood still and stared at her.

"Well!" she snapped catching his look. "If you think you have a better plan....!"

"Miss Granger," he began. "Did I say that your plan was not a good plan?" He snapped the book shut and set it on the shelf where it immediately took flight once again, like a bird free from its cage.. He ignored it and paused before continuing. "I do not know what is a good plan. That is why I am standing here reading these books--or--attempting to. I think the Dark Lord may very well be looking for these objects. Perhaps he can be lured into Gryffindor castle. Keep in mind that he is quite brilliant. He may have already thought of these possibilities and will defend himself against entrapment. In the meantime, there are tremendous risks involved."

She nodded.

Snape reached for another volume. "I don't know if he will be weakened significantly if his Horcruxes are destroyed. Who will be the first to test your hypothesis? You? Mr. Potter?" He bent his head again and appeared to dismiss her.

She waited and then opened her own book. "No, Mr. Snape. Your doppelganger. But it will mean that you have to talk to him...confront him."

He looked up, his face a mixture of alarm and surprise and met her gaze. They both understood what that would mean.

Madam Pince met Neville in the hallway on her way to see McGonagall. She was aware that he had taken residence a little earlier then other students and that he was apprenticing himself to Madam Sprout.

"Don't go that way, Mr. Longbottom!"

"Why?" he asked, astounded at seeing her out of the library and at her announcement.

"The murderer....Professor.....Snape!" she finally managed. "He's in the library. I am on my way to tell McGonagall." Neville watched her charge off down the hallway and then turned in the direction she had come. A strange look appeared on his face and his hand went to the wand that was stuck in his trouser pocket. He started off down the hall and his steps speeded up.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen The Plan

Snape was relieved when the girl told him that she could see his reflection. The idea that was forming in his mind was that he was actually the Double and it was insidious. He was beginning to question himself and that was the first sign of impending insanity. He constantly heard the Double and periodically felt his presence shadowing him but he did not look at him directly.

He considered her plan as he contemplated the contents of the book. He did not want to have to face the doppelganger. If he did, it would only be a short time later before it killed him or he killed himself trying to escape it.

At least one problem was solved for the moment. Potter was at Hogwarts and therefore, safe.

He studied the girl while she was reading. Granger had always been a burr under his collar. She irritated him and yet he had to admire her for a certain bull-doggedness. Was Lily like that; competent, smart, persistent? Definitely. He'd not forgotten. If Lily were here with him now he knew that she would have been proposing similar plans. She often dared the bravest fellow to jump in where fools feared to tread.

_But still_, he thought, _face the doppelganger! Wouldn't it be easier to face Voldemort? _he wondered. _At least he will kill me after he tortures me for a short while. Better then to be hounded and hunted by my Double and lose my mind._

Contrary to what Lupin wanted, Snape was not opposed to letting Potter and his friends involve themselves in the hunt for the Horcruxes and possibly assist in destroying them. He doubted he could do anything about it if he didn't like it. He knew from experience that Potter would find a way to be the center of it all no matter what.

He was considering this when his Double whispered in his ear. "The girl is lying to you. She means to give you up to the Dark Lord." He waved at the air as if shooing a bothersome fly and yet the voice continued. "Give yourself up to the Ministry. Sooner or later someone will try to kill you. No one will believe that you are innocent."

Snape sighed deeply. The Double continuously talked to him, like an echo in his head that wouldn't go away. _What will it be like if I actually face it? _he wondered. _It will cling to me and become more solid in form. It will truly be hard for anyone to tell the difference between us. _The thought was frighteningly ugly. But there was an advantage. He was the stronger of the two since he held all of his own memories and the Double had only images. He could possibly manipulate the doppelganger as the girl suggested. This was something that he'd also been thinking about but not in the way Granger considered. He thought about sending the Double back to Voldemort. _He cannot destroy it, but it can hurt him and hurt him badly. However, my evil silhouette might be able to destroy a Horcrux. Would it be a waste to try? _He questioned himself.

His eye discovered a rather ornate page in the book he held and it caught his eye. _Yes, _he said to himself, _'There is the word, 'Horcrux'. _Someone had vandalized the beauty of the page by scribbling in the margins. He recognized the script. It was Dumbledore's.

_So he was here before me doing the same thing_, Snape thought. He was busy studying the writing, squinting to make out the letters and words. The girl was at a desk nearby and his Double was standing beside her. Snape could sense it but had trained himself to keep turned away from it.

It was at that moment that Neville Longbottom stepped around the end of the library shelf, his wand pointed at Snape's heart and exclaimed, "Don't move!"

Hermione glanced up and made to stand, her mouth a round 'O' as she tried to shout the word 'No!'.

Snape remained still, his hands still holding the book. He didn't like the Longbottom boy and thought he was not far from being a squib. But he also knew that when one's emotion were at play, even someone as useless as Neville Longbottom could cast a spell that might hurt.

He was lucky because his Double became visible immediately and stood between himself and the boy.

Snape had been right. Neville cast the Cruciatus spell and directed it at him. However it went through his double and there was just enough time-the space of a second or two- when he could neatly step aside and let the spell make contact with the shelf behind him. The fact that it could be done was interesting. Snape tucked that information away for future use.

He also made sure to keep his eyes on the boy's face and not look at the ghost double and he knew by the look that Neville was now seeing two of him. And, his spell had no effect on either.

"What!" he cried. "What is this?"

…

Harry set the box with the locket on a table before them and stared at it as he ate. He was considering a plan that was just developing in his mind. It would encompass destroying the Horcruxes and entrapping Voldemort. Once entrapped he might have a chance to kill him. But how to go about it all? He sat in the Room of Requirement now transformed into his parent's Godric's Hollow home and he stared at the fire and felt safe. He didn't want to do anything; he wanted to stay here and pretend that he could not be touched and the world was at peace and he could get on with his life. He always felt better when he was at Hogwarts; it felt like home.

And then he remembered the tomb out in the lawn and his sadness and grief returned. Dumbledore had tried to take the burden from his shoulders by destroying one of the Horcruxes; by hunting them all down and destroying them.

_Will I end up like Dumbledore?_ Harry wondered. _He was a great wizard and still he died. _He picked up the box and opened it. _Would it kill him? Would it possess him? The diary hadn't._

And then he did the thing that would have stopped Hermione's heart if she had known; he lifted it from the box with his bare hand.

…

George and Fred managed to make it to Hogwarts even though they were both badly wounded. They had sent out the muggle equivalent of a MAYDAY and the entire D.A. was apparating into Hogsmead village. Even former students were joining them and the street in the late evening hours was becoming crowded.

George was supporting Fred and within seconds friends crowded round and helped them into an empty shop.

"We were attacked," George managed. "Death eaters."

"What about Ginny?"

"She left minutes before," Geroge said. "Someone needs to go after her."

"We came here and called you all in. We need your help," Fred managed.

"You both need to go to hospital," someone in the crowd said.

"We will be safer if we go up to the school," George said. "We've got to have a plan."

The others in the crowd, which was increasing by the minute, were murmuring amongst themselves.

"Right then," Lee Jordan said loudly. "Let's get them up to the school."

…

In the meantime, McGonagall faced Tonks, and several other members of the Order. Molly Weasley was sitting in a chair looking overwrought.

"Arthur sent word?" one asked.

"We knew it would come to this," Molly said. "We have been vulnerable since we befriended Harry. Now it seems that the Dark Lord has sent out all his Deatheaters to find all of us. Arthur's gotten news that people are dying and being tortured just to give information about my family."

McGonagal rested a consoling, sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "Then we shall have to find them first."

"No need," Tonks said. "Remus sent me a message that he and Snape were coming here. Remus would know where Harry, Hermione and Ron are."

"Here?" one asked.

"Why here Tonks?" asked another.

Madam Pince stood in the background, having been unable to deliver her message. She spoke now, "It's true. Snape is down in the library. That's what I've come to tell you. I haven't seen Remus. "

The group looked her way. "Well Molly, it's best to send a message back to Arthur that we all meet here. Send one to the children, too. At least try and locate all of them." Minerva McGonagall stood before the members of the Order. "I'll go down and talk to Snape. I trust that you all know that Snape was not Dumbledore's murderer?" She eyed them sharply as she might have done her students and then went on, " In the meantime, we shall meet in the main hall in a half hour. She pushed her way through the witches and wizards. "Follow me Madam Pince."

It wasn't only friends of George and Fred's and even Harry's friends that were gathering about the grounds of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, it was also many of the members of the Order being summoned, including Arthur Weasley. He was very quickly told by one of the students that his only daughter had been abducted, that his sons- George and Fred- were on their way to Hogwarts and wounded.

"McGonagal will have a plan Arthur," Madeye Moody said striding towards the school with his ship-rolling gait. "She says Snape and Lupin are there. We'll have us a meeting of the minds, so to speak."

Arthur Weasley was ahead of him and almost running, not at all surprised when he ran into more students going in the same direction.

"There ahead, Mr. Weasley," the girl said. "It's Fred and George that called us in."

"Are they all right? Are you sure? And Ginny?" he asked breathlessly.

No one answered. He shot out away from them in a full run when no one responded.

…

Within a short time the hall was fast filling up. Hermione, Neville and Snape had come from the library, Ron was with his parents; Molly was ministering to Fred and George, and conversing quietly in a corner while everyone else mingled and talked in hushed whispers.

"Remus is here?" Tonks asked.

Hermione nodded. "It's the full moon. I don't know where he's at."

"You can find him in my old classroom locked in the broom closet," Snape growled.

"He's been given the potion?" Tonks asked. Snape nodded. "Thanks,then; thanks a lot."

Snape turned away and seemed impervious to the looks and stares of the people in the hall."What about Harry?"

"He's here, Tonks," Hermione whispered. "He doesn't want to come out yet. I need to go tell him about Ginny. Just me." She took her hand off of Tonks arm, glanced at Snape and left them in the hall. Minerva stepped to the podium and everyone quieted.

"It has come to this," she said softly. "We all know what I am referring to." She glanced at the Weasley family. "I don't think we can stand by any longer and pretend that everyone of us is not in danger."

Neville stepped up beside Hermione to listen and was shocked when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced back to see his grandmother standing behind him. She squeezed and then dropped her hand and drew out her wand. She looked battle-ready. He turned back to stare at McGonagal but a smile played on his lips.

…

Hermione stood before the Room of Requirement, it's door remained invisible. "I need to talk to Harry, I need to talk to Harry, I need to talk to Harry." She whispered the words but the door didn't appear and she knew why. She really didn't _want_ to speak to Harry. Not if it meant telling him that Ginny was in Voldemort's hands.

"Perhaps, I can be of assistance, Miss Granger." It was Snape.

She remained steady staring at the wall but shook her head. This time she closed her eyes and concentrated. "I have to help Harry, I have to help Harry, I have to help Harry." With this change in words the wall began to move as if living creatures dwelled within the stone. And then a door began to appear and solidify before their eyes.

Without speaking to Snape she stepped over and opened it. He was there, standing with his back to her. They both went in and Hermione gasped as she came around in front and saw him standing there, the locket grasped in his hands.

"Harry!" She pulled her wand but couldn't decide what to do. Snape was beside her watching.

Harry studied the locket and then looked up when they intruded. "It's all right Hermione, there is nothing left in this." He dropped it to the table.

"Are you sure?" Snape asked.

Harry nodded. "I can tell it was there at one time. When I touch it I feel like I am inside his head, like I can possess him like he possessed me. But it feels like he's not aware that I'm there. I think it would be much stronger if the Horcrux was still inside. I probably could not fight it."

"So whoever fetched it from the cave, destroyed the Horcrux inside?" Hermione said.

Harry nodded. "I think so. Yes, I'm sure of it."

"That leaves only one left to us," Snape commented lightly. "The other two are out of our reach."

Hermione, shocked by his flippant tone of voice, glanced at him and then back to Harry. "I have something I have to tell you Harry."

"Yes. What?" he asked and then with more urgency, "Hermione, what?" He could tell by the look on her face that it was serious.

She told him about Fred and George and the missing Ginny and the people gathering together in the Hall and then sat down and watched him, silenced by her anxiety.

Harry looked first at her and then Snape.

"You say you can possess him. Do you know his mind?" Snape asked. "What he is thinking right now?"

Harry shook his head. "No,_ he _possessed me. I have not tried to enter his mind."

"Will you try now?" Snape stated. "Only for any instant."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I will."

"Protect your mind if you can. We are not ready for him to become aware that you are there." he said.

Harry considered it for a minute and then nodded once again.

"Miss Granger and I have discussed a plan. WE must consider it even if it is not fully formed," Snape said sitting down opposite of Hermione.

"Does it include getting Ginny back?" Harry asked.

Snape glanced up. "Yes. Miss Granger would you like to tell him what we were discussing?"

…

"You need to concentrate," Snape asked.

Harry nodded and motioned Hermione to step aside.

"Remember, Potter, in and out."

"Are you sure he won't know where this room is? If he finds out I'm in his head..." Harry asked. If their experiment failed they would have to think of another way. But if Hermione and Snape were right, Harry could lead Voldemort to Godric's Hollow. They could remain at Hogwarts and auto-pilot the Double to the castle.

"Not if you are quick, Snape answered. "We only need to know if you can make contact." This all rested on Harry's ability to get inside the wizard's head as Voldemort had doen to him. They all knew that it was going to be plain luck for Snape to manipulate his Double- transfer the remaining Horcrux to the Double and then send him into the castle. Tricking Voldemort into believeing the Doppelganger was the real Snape and imprisoning him along with the Doppelganger was another problem. They had to hope the castle would operate the same way it had when they became trapped. All of it was up to chance. Then all that was needed was for Voldemort to kill the Double. They weren't sure if that was possible.

And they still had two Horcruxes that were out-of-reach; the Hufflepuff cup and the other and no one knew whether it was a true Horcrux or not; Voldemort's snake, Nagini.

"Hermione, will this work?," Harry began, suddenly frozen with indecision.

"I tell you Harry, he put that Horcrux in a living creature," Hermione said. "That's why he's becoming a snake. It means his humanity is disappearing and it makes him less dangerous. I think that if we can kill the snake it will destroy the Horcrux. He made a mistake," she persisted. "A living creature can be destroyed-killed- and without a vessel to reside in; the Horcrux is destroyed. We can do the same. Transfer the one in the Phoenix into the Doppelganger and then let Voldemort kill who he thinks is the real Snape... M. Snape." She glanced guiltily at Snape who raised an eyebrow at her.

They stared at one another.

" He will kill my Double if he thinks it is me. Your job is two-fold Potter," Snape reminded him. "You must ascertain where he is. We have no time to search for his hideout so the snake can be killed. There is an army of people willing to help. Let them do it, let them kill the snake."

"I know! I know," Harry snapped.

Snape glared hard at him as if he hadn't been glaring all along. He, better than anyone, knew the risks. And yet, they were running out of time. "Ginny Weasley will be with him. Do not doubt it. She will tell him what he wants to know."

Harry gritted his teeth. He knew what Snape was doing.

"Now is your chance to prove your worth," he said quietly. "I did not protect you all of these years, sacrificing your mother, to watch you become a coward."

"You, protect me!" Harry hissed. "You!"

Snape nodded. "I was there. Every moment that could be spared I watched you. There at the Dursleys, on the train, at Hogwarts. Every time you bumped your head I was there to stop you from crushing it. I stood watch and kept the wolves at bay. Do not doubt it Potter, you would not have survived to live this day if I had not done so."

Harry looked into the dark eyes trying to read what was there. He didn't want to believe it; he wanted to believe that it had been Dumbledore or someone else, even Lupin. And yet he heard Snape and Lupin talking and knew his mother made Snape promise to protect him.

"Lupin..." he started to say.

Snape answered. "He kept me from protecting your mother and then he disappeared."

"Dum...Dumbledore," Harry mumbled.

"I carried you from the nursery and placed you in his hands. I buried your mother and your father." Snape said calmly.

"But you hate me!" Harry cried.

Snape frowned and didn't respond immediately.

"Harry, we must decide," Hermione said. " We must do it now or not at all. All of your friends are here at Hogwarts. They are willing to fight to get Ginny back. But you know that many of them will die if they face the Dark Lord or the Death eaters. It may already be too late."

Harry closed his eyes and reached out. For a moment there was nothing and then he felt it. He was inside the Dark Lord's head looking out into a room. The snake was there but Ginny was not. It seemed like nothing out of the ordinary was happening. He felt Voldemort twitch, as if he were aware that something was wrong.

Harry jumped back in just haste that he almost passed out. Snape and Hermione caught him before he hit the floor.

"I got...I did it. I got through," he mumbled. "Ginny wasn't there."

"The snake, Harry," Hermione snapped. "Was it there?"

He nodded. "And the cup. It was sitting there on the table before him."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty Meet Your Twin

Lily stood in the nursery, her back to the crib, wand out, facing the door. The man everyone called Voldemort stood before her. There was a faint smile playing on his lips. He was unconcerned about her wand pointing directly at him. He knew she would never use a killing curse, that was if she even knew one.

He stood nonchalantly leaning against the door sill. He could see it in her eyes. She knew he had just killed her husband and was intent on killing her, but she showed no fear. He was amazed by that fact. He had put together an organization of purebloods and loyal half-bloods including men like Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy. It had been awhile since anyone had treated him with so little respect. And it irritated him.

"Put your wand down Mrs. Potter," he said easily. "It will do you no good."

"What do you want?" she seethed.

"I already have it," he answered and held up the Phoenix. It had belonged to Godric Gryffindor himself. He had seen it in Dumbledore's office when he had foolishly gone back to Hogwarts to ask for a teaching job. Dumbledore could see through his ruse. Dumbledore knew there was more to it than seeking employment.

In a way, the wizard once called Tom Riddle, had really wanted the job. But he was becoming Voldemort at the time and his alter ego took over. What the evil part of him really wanted was to test Dumbledore's strength and knowledge. For it was Dumbledore alone that knew the truth about him.

_And still he turned me loose on the world_, Voldemort thought. _He should have killed me when he had the chance, when I was in that orphanage. He's never going to understand what has really made me so powerful_, he decided_. He will never learn about the Horcruxes._

Voldemort stood before her, his hand extended with the Phoenix statue and still she did not understand. He had asked for the relic three times after he found that Dumbledore had given it to the woman and her husband as a wedding gift. Yet the woman had refused him. Refused him! And it angered him.

"I am going to kill you Mrs. Potter and then I am going to use your son for some very complicated magic and there is nothing you can do about it."

Lily raised her chin, straightened her shoulders and steadied her wand arm. The baby in the crib behind her had crawled to his knees and clung to the ribs of the crib like a prisoner to bars of his prison.

Voldemort saw the resemblance in the face, in the eyes; for the child had the same deep olive-green eyes of his mother. However, it was obvious the boy had the dark hair of his father. The one that lay in the front door of the house- dead.

The child made no noise but stared at him steadily. Voldemort had no compunction about killing the mother and the child. This was the last Horcrux and he needed it to complete the seven.

"Kill me instead and leave Harry alive," she said calmly.

"Touching...but...no, I think not," Voldemort said and raised his own wand.

"You will be cursed," she said and threw the defense spell. It did her no good. Voldemort was fast, the spell she sent was weak and had little effect on him. He deflected and sent the killing spell. There was a flash of green light and she was dead, falling like a leaf from a tree to the floor, her hair spraying out and her last cry echoing though the house.

"Harreeeeee!" she screamed.

Even though the sound reverberated through the room and was shocking in its nature, the baby did not cry. He slipped down the bars to land on his bottom and he reached through them in an attempt to touch the now motionless woman at the foot of his bed.

Voldemort stepped over holding the Phoenix in his hand and the wand in the other and pointed it at the boy's head and then mouthed the killing curse. The boy looked up and stared at him and in that instant Voldemort saw a fire burning in the depths of the pupils of the child's eyes and he felt it crawl up his arm and consume him.

He fled the house in agony, a phantom, mad with pain. His body lay in the nursery alongside Lily Potter where Snape found them. It wasn't the wizard that Severus Snape knelt over it was the woman. His shoulders shook as he cried out in despair.

"Lily! Lily!" he moaned, holding her body, her arms limp and dropping to her sides, her hair touching the floor, her eyes closed as if she were asleep.

"Mama," the child said and reached through the crib bars. "Mama."

Snape looked at the boy through eyes filled with tears. Then he spied the statue of the gold Phoenix on the floor next to Lily. Without thinking he handed it to the boy. It was similar to handing car keys to an infant in place of rattles.

The boy stared at the statue and then, disinterested, dropped it into the blankets.

Dumbledore stumbled into the room and surveyed the sight. "Severus, you...you," he stuttered, "Are you hurt?" The man paid him no attention, holding the body of the woman, his tears still wet on his face, he turned to the man who leaned over him.

"It's my fault. All my fault."

...

Lily faced him. She sighed and walked to him, her bare feet on the carpet of leaves in the garden. She was dressed in her nightgown and it trailed through the trees behind her like a wedding train. The moon shone on her turning her into a phantom that he thought might disappear at any moment.

He stepped closer to make sure that she didn't, that her substance was real.

"I've loved you Severus; you know I did. The wounds I suffered at your hands haven't healed. Time hasn't taken them away and I have moved on."

His breath caught in his chest and he was felt a firey pain coursing through him as if he were being burned from within.

"I loved you and it was you who walked away," she said softly and touched his chest.

The contact electrified him. They stood so close that the scent of her hair drifted upwards into his face. He could not speak out of fear that he might break down. All he could manage was to look down into her face, and try to memorize every feature even though her face was already forever etched in his mind.

"When you left me I felt your presence for months. Every day I thought would be the day that you would contact me...send an owl...or a messenger." She dropped her hand and there was a muted cry of agony that escaped his lips. "I've held your hand through all of those years and comforted you when you were afraid, when you despaired, when you could not find the energy to go on. I watched you suffer and hurt and I was willing to be patient until you found your way. Even when you were cruel. But you took a different path and could not be persuaded that it was dangerous. You could not give it up even for me."

"Lily..." he breathed.

"You know..." she said. "You know this is true. Why are you coming to me now, on the eve of my wedding? Are you here to hurt me again?"

"No...no!" he said his voice full of tears. It took a moment before he could continue and she waited patiently. " I wanted you to know I never stopped loving you," he managed.

"We can't go back in time, Severus," she moved to step away and he reached for her. "What do you want of me?" Her voice was firm but not unkind.

He dropped his head unable to answer her, knowing that she would never grant him what he desired. She would never come back to him.

"There will come a day, I think," she began, "when you will suffer as I have and you will know the feeling of loss as I have. But I say this not to hurt you more but to let you know that I, too, have never stopped loving you. But I also know that I cannot try again. I have found someone who loves me and will care for me."

"Potter..." he groaned.

"Yes," she said nodding solemnly.

"Lily..."

"I want you to know that I will never abandon you," she said. "Not like you did to me. If you ever want my help, just come to me. I will do what I can. I will always consider you my friend."

"What can I say," he mumbled, truly contrite.

"Say you're sorry, Severus," she murmured. "Is that so much?"

Severus dropped to one knee, feeling the strength leave him. He leaned against a tree and gazed at her, wishing he could die. "I am sorry, Lily."

She nodded and turned to leave, her profile illuminated by the full moon.

"If you ever need _me_," he mumbled. "No matter what, I will come."

"I know you will, Severus. Goodbye." She walked away from him and he slumped to the ground cradling his head in his arms and moaned.

It had not been his fault that he could not go to her. Voldemort demanded that he remain at his side and the wizard was very powerful. Severus knew that he was deadly and any hesitation on his part would mean terrible things would happen. And it wouldn't be to him. Voldemort was very good at hurting those you loved. Luckily, he was unaware of the feelings he had for Lily. _She will be married and safe_, he decided. It was the only thing that consoled him.

Severus held the gold statue in his gloved hand and realized that a pair of olive-green eyes were staring at him. The young man looked grim but unafraid. Severus could still feel the tremendous grief from his memory. He had made two promises to her and had broken one of them. When she needed him he could not go to her. And although it made him grit his teeth he would not break the other. He would protect her son no matter what.

"So are you going to do it?" Hermione asked. She stood beside Harry and the other boy, the Weasley stood behind her.

"Yes," he answered.

"He's on your right," she said, indicating that the doppelganger was present.

Snape turned to his right.

His double returned the stare and then his gaze drifted to the Phoenix in Snape's hand.

"The Lord will reward you for bringing this back to him," Snape said. "It is what he is searching for."

"He will kill me," said the other.

"He cannot kill you," Snape responded. He felt odd. As if he were facing a mirror and then, it felt as if he had suddenly stepped through to the other side. He looked out and saw the room with three people in it; Potter, Granger and Weasley. It felt like he was looking through another pair of eyes and yet he looked down at his hand and there was only one. He and his double had become one and he wasn't sure which one he was.

The Other mirrored his thoughts, his actions, mimed his every move. If he blinked he could feel the Other blink. His words were mouthed by the Other. Now he understood how one could get lost or go insane when they had a Doppelganger. No one in history to his knowledge had lived to tell what it was like to have a Doppelganger. He wasn't even sure he could describe it if asked.

"Mr. Snape," Potter said, frowning slightly, glancing at first to his left and then at him. "Are you all right?"

Snape nodded and the Other nodded in synch with him. And then everything grew worse, he could hear the Double's thought and the thoughts were the same as his_. How do I know which one is me? _he wondered.

"Professor Snape," Hermione whispered. "You're struggling to decide which one of you is real aren't you?"

He looked at her and nodded. He felt the Other nod.

She pulled her wand from her sleeve and pointed it at him. In an instant his wand was up and pointed back. "I'm not going to hurt you." She hesitated. "Well not much anyway. WE know that your Double cannot be harmed. It doesn't mean you can't be. So I'm going to give you something that will help you remember which one of you is which."

He thought about it and lowered his wand. "Go ahead Miss Granger," he said. "Make sure it leaves a scar."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Ginny and Draco

"He could get trapped in the castle with You-Know-Who," Ron said after Snape and his shadow left the room. He's bait for the trap." They'd already sent Neville on a mission and he had also left the room.

"Isn't it time you called him by name," Hermione sniffed. "Voldemort. Say it Ron. It's not so hard."

Ron dropped his head for only an instant and then straightened and said very plainly, "Voldemort."

"He already knows he's the bait," Hermione added. "We have to trust that Neville will do what needs to be done."

They stared at each other in silence, no one wanting to say more.

Harry looked at both of them and gave the signal. "Right, then."

They left the room and headed for the Room of Requirement. This time it would not be the cozy replica of the home in Godric's Hollow. This time it would be to the cabinet that led to Knockturn Alley. From there they would apparate to the real Godric's Hollow. They had taken a chance and had given Snape the real Horcrux. Now they had to follow.

Snape could go to Voldemort and give the Horcrux to him which would show where his true loyalties lie, or he could follow their plan. From the look in his eyes after he faced his Doppelganger, Harry was sure that he would follow the plan. He knew that if Snape hadn't been a strong wizard that the Double would have immediately taken his sanity. AS it was, the man looked like he was battling a monster.

Harry didn't feel sorry for him and yet he could not bring himself to gloat. They had a connection even if he didn't want to admit it. And it was through a dead woman. Through his mother. Otherwise, Harry knew he would never have trusted the man.

"I wish I'd known what you were up to, Hermione," Ron said. "I'd have been happy to give him that scar."

She growled at him under her breath before replying. "As it is Ron, I have disfigured him and he might possibly carry that mark across his face for the rest of his life." Hermione moved ahead of them, hurrying towards the Room of Requirement. It was clear she was feeling bad.

Harry didn't say anything. He was past talking about such things. He felt a profound solemnity to their actions. He decided that they would all be lucky to survive the night. Who was going to care about a white zigzag scar from Snape's temple through the eye to his cheek. _After all_, Harry thought, _I have carried one all my life._

"Harry, this is really dangerous. What if Voldemort finds out that you're in his mind? Could he...push you out?" Ron asked.

Harry knew what he meant. The last time, the time in the Ministry, when Voldemort had possessed him and then had pushed away. At Hogwarts in the Room of Requirement Harry had experimented. He was in the Dark wizard's mind for such a short period of time that he knew Voldemort was unaware of his presence. Dumbledore told him the wizard could not share his mind without pain. Now he wondered about entering the wizard's mind for a longer period of time. _Will I be strong enough__? Can I control the situation long enough to give Voldemort a glimpse of where the Horcrux is? It is the only way to entice him into the castle. Snape's life depended on it. _All questions he could not answer until the time came. It wasn't worth worrying about. There were other pressing matters.

...

Ginny Weasley consented to returning home after receiving the urgent letter from her father. It seemed that things were coming to a head and people were gathering at Hogwarts. At least the Order of the Phoenix was gathering there. She had no idea where Harry, Hermione or her brother were or the rest of her family. She was in contact with no one and she felt all alone.

She took the tired, worn-out broom that she rode to Diagon Alley and was attempting to get it to move along a little faster. During Quidditch matches she was able to use a school broom, and although they weren't like Harry's Firebolt, they were fast and maneuverable. She had not wanted to wait for the wizard or witch her father said would come to fetch her and George and Fred could not persuade her otherwise.

It was growing dark. Even in the late summer when the sun had finally gone down it was usually a twiligh-kind of darkness. Tonight, it was an ominous midnight black and a moon the size of an enormous gold coin was rising over the tops of the trees. People were going inside instead of enjoying the summer evening out-of-doors. They were afraid and becoming more-so as tensions rose. Voldemort was sending his Death eaters out to terrorize people, to create chaos, but as yet was not killing and murdering outright. Still, it was asking for trouble to be outside at night.

Ginny knew that it was dangerous, but she felt that since it was dark she could escape detection. She was one person riding alone. _They would overlook her, wouldn't they_? she wondered. She only hoped she didn't have to make a run for it because the old broom would collapse from under her and leave her defenseless.

Just as she was having these thoughts she saw a dark figure approaching. She immediately recognized the white hair and pulled up to wait for the person. There was nothing else she could do. Wand out, she waited. "Hello, Malfoy," she murmured.

"Hey Weasley," he muttered, not at all in his usual haughty voice. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Yeah, fancy that," she said and waited. There was no response. "Well if it's all the same to you, I'm in a hurry." Ginny knew he was involved in Dumbledore's murder and most likely a Death eater, but she was not afraid of him. She felt, in a dual, they might be equally matched. After all she had seen him dual with Harry and she was older and knew the same spells that Harry did. But she didn't want to start a fight. She didn't want to have to test her theory.

"Hey Weasley," he whispered and moved closer.

She was ready to outflank him and run. He had the advantage with his Firebolt, but she wouldn't give up without a fight. "What?"

"Look," he began tiredly, stumbling over the word. "He...he's looking for you," Draco said.

Ginny moved away from him, searching the night, trying to think of a way to escape.

"Don't try anything; just listen for a minute." He pulled alongside her. "See I don't even have my wand out."

She could see his face in the moonlight and sensed that there was a difference in him. His hands were out in front of him and he held no wand. "What do you mean? What do you want?"

"The Dark Lord," he began again, "he's looking for you. Wants his Death eaters to bring you in. My dad is sending wizards out everywhere. The order is to find a Weasley- any Weasley- and bring them in for questioning."

"You mean torture," Ginny hissed.

Draco nodded and bent over his broom toward her, whispering, "What say you jump on behind me and I'll get you home."

"Right."

"I won't take you to him," he said firmly. "I mean it. I've been following you and I saw you leave tonight. If I wanted to capture you I could have done it before now. I waited until we were away from Diagon Alley. No one's following us. I didn't send for any of them."

Ginny stared at his dark figure and considered his proposal.

"Look, if he catches me he'll kill me," Draco moaned. "He probably wants me more than he wants you."

"That's too bad," Ginny smirked and then saw the young man's face in the moonlight. Draco looked like he was already dead; he looked dreadful.

"You're never going to make it home on that thing," he muttered. "If someone comes up on us I can get us away." He nodded at the Firebolt he rode. "We're both good at Quidditch. Better than most of my father's men."

Ginny thought about it and nodded. They dropped to the ground and she waved her wand at the old broom. It did an about-face and headed off into the trees.

"Can we get back to Diagon Alley and warn my brothers?" she asked as she climbed on.

He shook his head. "No need. I sent a message to them."

"They're not going to believe you."

"It was an owl from your mother," he answered. "We've gotten good at forging people's handwriting. Or should I say the Dark Lord has people who can do that sort of thing."

"What about my father and mum?" Ginny asked as they whooshed through the cool night air. She had to admit it definitely felt better on the Firebolt. IF necessary she could use a spell on Draco and steal the broom. She still had her wand.

"They're safe," he answered and took a sharp turn away from lights that shone below.

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked, suddenly concerned.

"Hogwarts," Draco answered. "Your mum and dad are there. Along with other members of the Order." He waited for a moment and then turned to her. "I need you to help me get in and vouch for me. At least until I can tell them what's happening."

Ginny considered it as they rode through the night. They were high in the sky and unnoticeable. There was time to think. She was not surprised that he was aware of the Order. It had to happen sometime. If he was telling the truth then it would be safer at Hogwarts than at home.

"I can do that."

They were nearing the outskirts of Hogsmeade when they were suddenly overtaken. It came as a shock to both of them and yet Ginny had seen this maneuver in the Ministry of Magic when Lucius Malfoy and his soldiers had descended on them. This tyime it was Lucius; he was alone. He was also lightening fast and there was no getting away from him.

"Stop Draco!" Lucius' voice was hoarse but soft.

Draco stopped midair and drew his wand. "I won't let you take her father." His expression was unreadable and Ginny was hiding behind Draco, holding onto the broom and mentally drawing up the energy to use a defensive spell.

"I'm not going to stop you, Son," the voice was soft, void of the granite ferocity that was normally there. Ginny could here a sob break away from Draco and the young man's head dropped.

"Let's get out of the sky," Lucius suggested. "There are others covering Hogwarts and Hogsmeade." He nodded in the direction they were going. "We will be seen." He gestured and then went ahead of them, lighting on the ground waiting for them in the gloom of a fog-shrouded tree.

Ginny knew she was helpless. It was Lucius and not his son. She was no match for the wizard. That meant she could not fight him.

"Dad," Draco moaned. The elder Malfoy stepped over and pulled his son into his chest, gazing over his head at Ginny. It was a touching display of affection that Ginny could hardly believe.

" I have been looking for you everywhere," he murmured, his voice full of sadness. "I will make sure you get to the gates unharmed," Malfoy pushed his son away from him to look into his face. "Try to convince them that you were coerced into working for the Dark Lord."

"But dad..." Draco began, shaking from head to toe. His voice was agonized.

"No, Draco," Lucius said, gently. "Your mother is dead and I will be shortly. He doesn't need me anymore. He doesn't need any of us any longer. Don't you see that it is over? I want you to be free of...this." He gestured in the dark at his arm. "Bring the girl along. We haven't much time. He's away right now. I don't know where but I am in charge. It's the only chance we have to get you to safety."

Draco nodded, sobbing silently. Ginny stood by stunned by what she was hearing. _Maybe I'm not going to die in the next few minutes,_ she thought.

Draco seemed unable to act. Ginny grabbed the Firebolt and took a handful of Draco's robe, pulling him onto the broom and held him as she took off. The elder Malfoy swept up beside her and they moved through the forest only feet off the ground. Lucius didn't look at her but maintained a steady stare at the approaching village of Hogsmeade. They took a wide arc around it and headed for the school only a short distance away.

The night was quiet. Too quiet. And suddenly she felt the awful cold and dread that was associated with Dementors.

"Stay by me," Lucius whispered. "Hold onto him, girl!" Ginny felt Draco collapse forward onto the broom. She held on tightly and thought about the happiest moment she could remember and held her wand ready to commit to the Patronus charm. In practice with Harry she had been able to produce a full Patronus. Now, and only now did she understand what Harry had experienced when he held off hundreds of Dementors. How he had done it was beyond her. One Dementor was chilling, the twenty or so that floated like ghosts made of gossamer shrouds felt to her like she was drowning in a pool of despair. The Dementors drifted through the forest surrounding the school.

_This is what hell must be like,_ she thought.

"They will not attack you while I am here," Lucius said. "But you will feel the effects. Hold onto Draco and we will make it to the school. Can you do that girl?"

The boy in front of her was unconscious and she felt her own consciousness ebbing, but she nodded. She held her wand at the ready.

He reached for it and pushed it down. "Don't use your wand. You will draw attention to us!" he wheezed.

She realized that he didn't take the wand from her and it gave her added strength. She nodded and they sailed in tandem through the forest.

...

Snape moved slowly. He knew he didn't have time to adjust to his Double, to the echo of his thoughts reverberating through his brain, to the incessant braying of the Other's questions and comments. There was no time to spare. There was only one way to make sure the Horcruxes were destroyed and that would mean self-sacrifice. He'd come to understand that his life would end soon anyway and better that then be tortured and then killed by Voldemort. If he could manage it he would try to take the wizard with him when he died.

He remembered using the Candidas charm on Lily and her son and now he was going to do the same once again. If Voldemort tried to kill Potter it would rebound. Only this time the dark wizard would not be consigned to exile in a bodiless form. This time his Horcruxes would be destroyed and there would be no reprieve. He would no longer be immortal and his soul pieces would be gone. Snape could not imagine that. _Would it be as terrible as having a Doppelganger riding you? _he wondered.

As he moved through the trees towards the dark cottage he remembered once again the night that she was killed. He had buried her and the man she married. He carried the boy and his toy-or what Snape thought was a toy- to the foyer of the cottage. The toy turned out to be the Golden Phoenix but he had not known it at the time. Then, it meant nothing to him. The child dropped it at the bottom of the stairs as Snape handed the infant to Dumbledore who had returned after trying to catch Sirius Black. Black learned of the deaths of his friends and without entering the house he went after Pettigrew. A moment later, Snape heard the sound of a motorcycle takin goff into the night.

"Severus," Dumbledore said. "I know that you are in shock and that this is a dangerous situation to leave you in, but I must get the child to safety. I need you to take care of things here."

Snape stared at the body of the man on the ground, the man he hated, Lily's husband.

"Severus!" Dumbledore took his arm.

"Yes, yes, I will handle things here," Snape said stonily.

" You have to get rid of His body." He looked up the stairs and then his gaze dropped to Severus' face. "Do you understand? Find Lupin," Dumbledore advised. "He'll help."

Snape glared at the old man but nodded. He wasn't about to tell Dumbledore that he'd rather be face down in the dirt, dead, like Potter, then to ask for help from Lupin. Hadn't it been the werewolf that had stopped him and made it too late to save Lily?

They had argued.

"She doesn't love you Snape," Lupin said. "She's married and she has a son. You need to leave her alone."

"What business is it of yours?" Snape asked, seething.

"I saw you there," Lupin snapped.

Snape nodded. "Yes, I am aware of it. You were with the other two throwing spells at me. You could have hit Lily, or .. the child."

"What were you doing there?" Lupin demanded.

Snape was not about to tell him about the prophecy or that Lily had asked for the _Candidas _charm- the charm that would kill her and protect her child. "This is not important Lupin. I need to see her tonight."

"You cannot go to her tonight." Lupin shrugged. "Anyway, she has a secret-keeper. No one can find her."

"You are the secret-keeper?" Snape asked.

"No. Would I tell you if I was," Lupin snarled.

"I must go to her immediately, Lupin," Snape argued and then added. "If you know who the secret-keeper is you must tell me. I have to warn her."

"Warn her about what?" Lupin demanded. "That your master is out to kill her? She's aware of it."

"Is it Black?" Snape asked. "Is he the secret-keeper? Send him a message. Do it now."

"Who do you think you are? Lupin challenged.

And on and on it went.

He finally persuaded the werewolf to take him to Black. Severus was sure that Sirius would laugh in his face, but he had to try. If Sirius was the secret-keeper he was the only one who knew where the Potter's were.

When they found him he was credulous. "I made Pettigrew the secret-keeper!" he shouted to Lupin. The two of them stood together ignoring Snape.

Lupin paled and glanced at Snape. "If Severus is telling the truth, Peter knows Voldemort is looking for Lily and James. He is the only one that can find them. If he has betrayed us then he has betrayed them."

Black shook his head. "I can't believe that."

"Can we send a message to Peter?" Lupin asked ignoring his friend's disbelief.

"Is there a way to find out if the Fidelius Charm is still active?" Black demanded and turned to Snape when Lupin shrugged. "Do you know? Can we test it?"

Severus nodded, thought for a moment and dropped his head to concentrate.

"Why would Peter betray us-them?" Lupin asked, looking dumbfounded and dazed. "We've been like brothers to him."

Black shook his head angrily and said once again, "I can't believe it! Snape?"

"Let him think, Sirius," Lupin jumped in.

"Do you know what I have done, Remus? I feel it, I feel it in my bones. Something is wrong," Black growled. "I couldn't put my finger on it before. But now..."

Severus raised his head. "I'm going to send out my Patronus and see if I can reach her...Lily. If the Fidelius charm is still working it will come back to me. If it has been broken it will reach her and she will answer."

"And if she doesn't answer...for some reason...?" Lupin could not state what they all dreaded. If she didn't answer it would mean that she was unable to answer.

"She'll answer," Black growled. "Or James will. I'll apparate as soon as we know."

"We'll all go," Lupin said, putting a restraining hand on Sirius' arm. "Even Severus."

Black snarled and yanked his arm away, all the while staring at Severus. And then he nodded in agreement and waved his hand towards Snape. "Give it a go."

Snape took out his wand and wrote the message in the air, blew on it and sent it speeding towards its destination.

...

Black had gone after Pettigrew and Lupin after Black and there had been no one to stare into the dead eyes of Lily Potter. Only him. Those eyes, even now, gazed at him from the past; forcing him to remember his oath to her. He stood in the dark staring at the blazing lights in the cottage. He knew at once that Voldemort was in the cottage. And the wizard was furious.

_This is unexpected_, Snape thought. _Potter and his companions will be here soon. _The Double nodded in agreement. _I've got to draw him into the castle now and not wait. _The Double once again nodded. Snape held the mirror in his hand and glanced at it. The scarred face stared back. _I will go in and tell him that we have found the Horcrux. We should persuade him to go up to the castle before Potter gets here._

The Double turned to him and Snape stared back. The Double nodded. _At least we are on the same page, _Snape thought_. If you go in he cannot use Occlumency_. _He cannot see through the plan._

_It is you that he cannot read, _the Other said. _I am the true Severus Snape_.

Snape nodded, his manipulation wasn't working. _We shall go together then._

_..._

Neville left the castle without seeing anyone. Although Harry asked him to get help from the others; from McGonagal and the members of the Order, Neville knew that he had to do this alone. It was only after stepping out the door and walking along the path to the front gates and meeting up with Ginny that he was inclined to seek help.

"We thought you were captured," Neville exclaimed in relief. "Everyone is up there," he nodded at the school. They think you've been taken."

"Where were you going?" she asked.

"Then we'll do it together Neville," Ginny said after he explained what was going on. Draco stood beside her like a zombie.

"What about him?" Neville asked.

"Draco?" Ginny turned to him and for a moment they both thought he wouldn't answer them. Then he blinked and returned their look.

"I want to help. I'll go with you," he said. "They'll trust me and I'm the only one that can get you close to the snake."

Ginny nodded. "Are you sure Draco? Your father wanted you here; safe."

Neville looked on with astonishment. Something had definitely changed the situation with Draco and Ginny. _Can Malfoy be trusted? _he mused.

Draco stared back at her, tears dried on his cheeks and he nodded. "Maybe I can save my dad."

Ginny contemplated him and turned back to Neville. "Can you do a side-along apparation Neville? I can't apparate yet. We have to get there quickly and I don't think I want to go through the forest again." She shivered involuntarily and glanced over her shoulder at the Forbidden Forest.

Neville thought about it. He'd never been good at anything. He hadn't even gotten to Hogwarts by apparating, choosing to use a broom as the safer method of travel. But this was important and he could not fail.

"I can do it," Draco said, stepping forward to offer his arm to her.

"I will," Neville said and took a step forward, pushing Draco aside. The boy shrugged and stepped aside to wait patiently.

Ginny stared up at him. He knew she was nervous. He knew she didn't believe him capable. And then, to his surprise, she took his arm. "Let's go Neville. To the gates and outside the boundaries first."

_Please, oh please don't let me splice her or me. Let us get there in one piece_, he pleaded as they headed back down the path. He couldn't have known that Harry had thought the very same thing only a short time before.

...

McGonagal had been on her way to remove the cabinet in the Room of Requirement just after having a conversation earlier with Lupin. Then they discovered Snape thoughts in the Pensive and she'd forgotten about it.

Now, Harry and Hermione and Ron stood before the wall of the Room of Requirement. This time they needed to find the cabinet. With all three of them desperate to get into the room the door seemed to snap out of thin air and slam open as if they had said; 'Open Sesame!'

Without hesitating they found the cabinet and stepped in, one at a time.

When they arrived at the other destination, the room was bathed in darkness and only a sliver of moonlight penetrated from the front shop. Harry lit the end of his wand and led the way.

The shop was empty although the streets outside were not. He motioned for Hermione to unlock the door and they slipped out, staying in the shadows and away from the gas lamps that dimly illuminated the street. Furtive figures moved along the walkways and there were raucous noises emanating from a pub at the end of the street. Otherwise they were safe.

"Apparate now," Harry mouthed. Hermione and Ron nodded and disappeared immediately. Harry waited and watched to see if anyone was paying attention to the faint popping! noise.

Then he returned to the shop, reentered the cabinet and returned to Hogwarts. Moving quickly he made his way to Snape's old office near the dungeons and to the broom closet where Lupin was imprisoned.

"Lupin if you can hear me and understand," he whispered, "this is what I'm going to do."

He stood for a few minutes talking to the door. "I know that you would never forgive me if I left you here." He swallowed hard. "Thanks Remus. Thanks for being my friend."

There was no sound indicating that the werewolf was inside, or if he was, that he even understood his words. Then, Harry touched the lock and left.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Lily's Secret

When Snape entered the cottage it was easy to see that the Dark Lord was looking for something. The place was ransacked and every single item in the rooms on the lower floors was scattered about, torn, ruined, destroyed. Snape studied the layout and listened to the noises coming from the upper floor.

He prayed that his skills to block Voldemort's occlumency would be enough. He knew his Double could not be forced to give away the information. As long as he could keep himself sorted out and not forget that he was the real Snape then he could control the Doppelganger. He had learned that much. The moment he had turned and looked into the face of his twin they were united; becoming one mind, one person. Every minute that the Doppelganger existed their thoughts paralleled one another more and more. Soon, they would think with one mind. The Double still questioned and talked to him but this was fading.

"Are you ready?" It asked.

Snape nodded and began to climb the stairs. He heard the faint Pop! outside and knew that Potter and his friends had apparated. He turned to his Double. "One of us must go out to warn them."

"You go," It said. "He won't believe a copy of the real Snape. He will see through you in a heartbeat. I will go to him and persuade him that I know where the Horcrux is."

Snape was hoping for this. He hesitated for an instant just to fool the Doppelganger into believing that he was unsure of this hasty plan. The Double carried a faded image of the scar that now graced his face but it was so dim it was clear that it was not real. Snape wondered if this would work and then decided he had no other choice. _It feels very bizarre, not even being able to trust your own Doppelganger,_ he decided.

"I insist," the Snape double hissed. "Besides you will know what is happening inside because we share the same thoughts; however onerous that is for me."

Snape stared at the obsidian eyes of his twin and almost smirked. _It's true. I am a bit arrogant_. He was happy to see that the Double thought he knew what was going on in Snape's head. And it was clear that he didn't. _We are still separate so far_, he mused.

Snape bowed his head in acquiesance and returned to the foyer glancing back once to see his heels disappear up the stairs. He exited the house. He found only the two, Granger and Weasley.

"Where is Potter?" he asked.

Hermione held a mirror up and studied it before answering. "We don't know. We thought he was behind us. Why are _you_ here?"

A instant later a figure popped into existence a few feet away. It was the boy. He saw them and moved quickly. "Is it done?" he asked.

"No," Hermione grunted in exasperation. "This is the real one."

Potter turned to him and then glanced over to the house. Every window was lit from within.

For Snape, it was very strange. He stood in the dark, in the garden and listened and spoke to Potter and his friends and yet at the same time he stood in the door of the nursery and faced Voldemort. He wondered if he was going to be able to function at all as two people. He could hear Voldemort speaking to him.

"Snape," the oily voice hissed. "Why this is a surprise."

"Master."

"How did you find me?" Voldemort asked stepping over the refuse in the middle of the floor. The crib was crushed and every item in the room dismembered and scattered. Voldemort held a letter in his hand and he'd been reading it when the Double stepped into the room. It appeared as if it had fallen out of a diary, which lay shredded on the floor.

"I know of the Doppelganger," the Double said.

Voldemort stopped, studied his face and then nodded. "Yes. Sorry about that, Severus. But it was a clever thing to do I must say. Dumbledore was surprised that you killed him in the end, I think."

The Double nodded, knowing that he had seconds before the wizard would kill him. "I also know about the Horcruxes."

That stopped him. Voldemort froze in place, his wand hand up and already pointed at Snape's chest. He was lightening quick.

The Double continued, "I have two of them. I will give them to you and in turn you will destroy the Doppelganger and let me leave in peace."

Voldemort was silent, absorbing the news.

"I have the locket and the golden Phoenix," The Double said to support his claims.

"Where are they?" Voldemort asked. But his question was unimportant because he was in front of the Double in a flash staring into the false Snape's eyes. He was using occlumency.

Outside, the real Snape suddenly spun on his heels and headed for the castle. "We must hurry!"

The three caught up to him.

"The Double is with him?" Hermione asked. "HE...You-Know-Who's at the cottage? But that was not the plan."

"The plan has changed," Snape answered. He stopped on the stairs leading up to the ruin and glanced over at the faint light shining from the windows. He stood there in the dark and yet he also stood in the lighted room.

Voldemort's reaction to the discovery was immediate.

"Aghhhhh!" The Dark Wizard groaned and stepped away. "You are the Doppelganger!"

The false Snape shook his head in puzzlement. "No. No!"

Voldemort nodded, "Yes. You are. Which means that the real Snape has looked on your face and he is in there somewhere listening." The wizard smirked and held up the paper in his hand.

The Double was studying his hands and not paying attention.

"Snape, I know you're listening," Voldemort said grinning. "Do you know what I have here?" He wandered the room pushing aside things with his foot and basically ignoring the Double. "I have a letter written by Lily Potter to you. It seems that she decided not to send it to you."

The Snape on the stairs of the castle once again halted.

"Mr. Snape, you have to bring your Double here," Hermione insisted. " He must be inside with the Horcruxes."

Snape ignored her and turned to Harry. "Come here!"

Harry hesitated and then climbed the stairs to join him. "What?"

Snape drew his wand and took a deep breath. "I am going to put a spell on you Mr. Potter. Please don't ask me what it is and why I'm doing it. Our plans may go astray this evening and it is a protection."

"But..." Harry barely breathed the word before Snape was showering him with a rain of gold sparks. The man then stepped into the circle and the sparks turned to a blood red.

"_Modaceous candidas_," Snape chanted and then dropped his wand and the shower halted. He stood still, head bent, the only light available came from the moon rising behind the castle.

"What...what did you do?" Harry asked, angrily.

Voldemort held it before him. "It seems that Mrs. Potter was in love with you Severus. She says that even though she said goodbye to you she wanted to stay, wanted you to ask her to stay with you." The wizard laughed. "Why Severus you never told me about this? How you must have hated me for killing her."

The Double stood dumbly in front of the wizard without speaking. He was functioning as a conduit and yet he was reacting as if he were real. The two Snape's apart and yet together looked at the paper Voldemort held in his hands and wished with all theirs hearts that they could reach out and wrench it from his filthy hands.

Voldemort, unaware of the reaction, kept reading. "Oh my!" He burst out with laughter and derision. "Why the little half-blood muggle was pregnant with your child, Severus."

On the stairs to the castle Snape's head came up. He looked out over the head of Potter and his friends and he stared at the cottage in the distance. His chest was heaving and he could not find the strength to pull his mind away from the scene in the room.

Voldemort finished the letter and cocked his head as if it would help him think through things more easily. Granted he was becoming ever more reptilian as time went on and most of the humanity that was left was utilized to function as a wizard and human. But his brain was struggling with the epiphany. "Why Severus, it was Harry Potter. It was her son...and yours. Not Potter's." His voice was soft with wonderment.

Harry closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. He had to know what was happening and this was as good as time as any to try their experiment. Besides, he told himself, it was all going to ruin anyway. Their plans were now up in the air.

He was surprised at how easy it was this time. Faster than it took to apparate he was in the room at the cottage and at the same time inside the skull of Voldemort. He was immediately aware that the wizard did not know he was present. There was a clarity this time that was not present when he had attempted to access the dark wizard's mind before. This time Harry realized that the wizard's thoughts were so alien that Harry was functioning as if he were a separate entity inside the man's head. It was if he were a bystander watching a scene play out before him. _This will work, _Harry thought_. I can trick him into going to the castle. I can show him the Horcurxes and then get out of his head. _

And then he heard what Voldemort was saying. He looked down with the Dark wizard's eyes and read the paper he held in his hand. He recognized the writing. It was in hi s mother's hand.

_Dear Severus,_

_I left you awhile ago. I could not do what I have to do tomorrow and marry James Potter without being honest with you. What has happened changes nothing. I will still marry him because I know he will be a good husband and will care for our child._

_Yes, I am pregnant with your child. I hope to tell you this someday. I know I shall not send this letter to you until the time is right. By then I hope that you will understand why I am doing this. I truly did not want to keep it from you. And then tonight you said that you loved me. Why, oh why has it taken this long for you to say the words I have longed to hear?_

_Time has not erased the sorrow I feel, dear man, but I think now that you have confessed your feelings, I think I can forgive you. When you find out about this I hope that in turn you can do the same for me. I could not tell you and risk letting our son live in the shadow of that evil wizard, Voldemort. I only hope that you can find the strength to pull away from him before it's too late._

_Why couldn't you ask me to stay? I might have._

_With all my heart,_

_Lily._


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Will the Real Snape Step Forward

Harry couldn't help it. He mentally cried out in anguish. _This can't be! _he thought. And his thoughts drifted into the mind of the man he possessed, where they were discovered.

"Who?" Voldemort spun in place and then his hands went to his head. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, POTTER."

"Come and get me, Riddle!" Harry thought furiously. "I'm in Godric Gryffindor's castle. I have the Horcruxes and I'm going to destroy them and then I'm going to kill you. Face me you filthy coward!"

Harry was back in his own head in a flash and he was still standing in front of Snape. The Double in the cottage had disappeared and now stood at the real Snape's side. Both had the same expression on their faces; they appeared stunned. Neither he nor Snape had time to absorb what had just happened.

"We must get inside," Snape said. "He will be here momentarily."

The four raced up the stairs, the entrance was in pitch darkness but it had not changed. They ran through the ruins and up another flight of stairs. Light from the brilliant moon shone periodically through rampart windows as they raced through the halls.

"This isn't how it's supposed to happen," Hermione gasped, slowing to catch her breath. "We aren't suppose to be inside. Now we're trapped with him." They all stopped beside her.

Ron turned to look behind and then ahead. "We're lost."

Snape, his Double and Harry were standing stiffly not looking at one another nor looking around them.

Harry felt ill. His whole life had been a lie and no one had ever had the guts to tell him the truth. He could no longer look on the memory of his parents without anger. He wanted for all the world to believe his mother was honest and true. That he could trust his memory of her, his understanding of who she was and what she was like even if he had made up most of it from bits and pieces. It was even more heartbreaking to know the truth then it had been when he found out that his father had been a bully. The man he despised and who had despised him, was his true father. He was alive and standing in the same room.

"What was the spell that you put on me?" Harry asked, still immobilized by what was happening. There was no response. He turned, bitterly angry, his wand out and pointed at Snape. "I SAID, WHAT WAS THE SPELL YOU PUT ON ME?"

"Harry...?" Hermione whimpered.

"Shut it, Hermione!" Ron snapped. They stood to the side and watched.

"It's called the Candidas Charm," Snape answered quietly, his baritone voice bouncing off the walls and echoing back as if they were in a tomb.

"What does it do?" Harry demanded.

"If the Dark Lord tries to kill you he will die," Snape answered. "It is the same one I put on your mother and you when you were an infant. If the Horcruxes are destroyed he has nowhere to go. He cannot resurrect himself this time."

"But the Horcurxes aren't destroyed," Hermione said, almost in tears.

...

Neville, Draco and Ginny slipped through the dappled shadows of the moonlight and moved into view of the house. It was an old house, mostly in ruin. Harry had seen it from the perspective of a snake, and now Voldemort occupied it, calling it his own although he had never officially lived there. He used it as his headquarters. It was his father's house, the Riddle house.

"Do you have any idea how we're suppose to kill the thing, once we get inside and find it?" Ginny asked, studying the windows and the routes of entrance and escape.

Neville pulled out a pocket watch and showed it to her. "Harry transformed the Gryffindor sword into a pocket watch. He said that if it could kill a Basilisk it could probably kill an ordinary snake."

Ginny looked at the watch and wondered if Harry was thinking the same thing when he gave it to Neville that was now in her mind. _Was he worried that Neville would be able to transform the watch at such a critical time?_ _He must have been_, she decided. _It's alright Harry, I'll be here to help him._ She spoke the words silently. She was glad she met up with Neville and was with him now.

"It is no ordinary snake," Draco said quietly. There was no bravado in his voice or demeanor. "The snake is intelligent. And it's very big."

"Just get us inside," Neville said. "We'll think about the next step afterward."

"That's hardly a plan," Draco mumbled.

"Draco may be right, Neville," Ginny said gently. "There are three of us and it's more likely we can be detected. We should have a plan." They stood in silence and watched a wizard sentry searching the grounds with a lit wand. The man disappeared around a corner.

"I can take you prisoner," Draco said. "It's what they expect. We can walk right in." Suddenly, he seemed more animated than he had been all night. "My father said that Voldemort was away."

"Right, Malfoy," Neville said rather loudly. "Like I would let that happen."

"Shush!" Ginny pulled them back into the shadows. She was thinking furiously. _Was this all a trick? Did Draco and his father dream this up to catch her and take her to Voldemort? _And then she thought about it_. No, they could have just captured her and taken her to the Dark Lord immediately. They didn't need to trick her. _"Yes, you're right Draco. That would work the best."

"Ginny!" Neville gasped in shock.

"I have to trust that you will be there in time," she said. "You have to kill the snake."

"They will hurt you, torture you!"

She could see the fear written all over his face.

"I..I couldn't let that happen, Ginny. My parents...my parents were tortured into insanity. I couldn't live with that if the same thing happened to you. You're asking too much." Neville was almost in tears.

"That's why I know I can trust you to save me," she said gently. "It's not just me, Neville, it's Harry, too. He's going to die if we can't get this done."

Neville remained silent.

"Neville, you are a Gryffindor. That means you are courageous, honorable and fearless. I know that you can do this."

"I will protect her," Draco said.

Neville and Ginny stared at him

"I will take a Unbreakable vow if you don't believe me," he whispered vehemently.

Neville fingered the pocket watch. He had yet to transform it.

He nodded. "Alright. I will take you at your word Malfoy. There won't be any Unbreakable vows made tonight. Don't let me down. I promise you I'll kill you if you do."

Draco nodded.

"Let's go then."

...

Remus Lupin was not himself and yet he was not a werewolf. He knew from experience that if he took the potion soon enough he would not transform into the wolf. It was what kept him sane and more human than the rest of his kind. He was grateful for it and for Snape who prepared it for him. But he did not feel the same as he did when there was no full moon, when he was more fully human.

He sat in the closet and was suffering through the pain of desire. It was a heady experience to become a wolf. The animal was strong-powerful-and feared; all the things he was not when he was human. As a wolf he could hunt and he could drink the blood of an animal; tasting with pleasure its' life essence. There was a certain joy to running through the woods as if he owned them.

Of course, he lost his human intellect when it happened and therefore could not remember the experience when he became human. It was only when he took the potion and was caught in the in-between state that he could remember.

He heard with his exquisite hearing when Harry walked to the door. Remus could smell Harry's scent and hear the blood coursing through his veins. He knew immediately that Harry was setting him free. Half of him yearned to speak to the boy- to comfort him and share his burden; the other half wanted to crash through the door and rip at the vulnerable human prey with claws and teeth.

The door swung ajar and the light from the office shone into the darkness. Remus stared at it with the eyes of the wolf, almost blinded by the dim illumination. He was sweating and shivering at the same time and slowly, carefully he crawled to the opening. He was in his human form but he was in his wolf mentality.

He ran swiftly through the empty halls and out the front door into the night following the fresh scent.

...

"You became part of the charm, didn't you?" Harry growled. "Does that mean if he tries to kill me you'll die like my mother did?"

Snape nodded. His face was in shadow and Harry could not read his expression, nor could he see the face of the duplicate. It seemed that the Double was growing stronger and the real Snape was fading.

"What's happening to your Doppelganger?" Harry asked.

"We are becoming one," Snape said.

"What does that mean?"

"Soon you will not be able to tell us apart. **I **will not be able to tell us apart. He is consuming my mind."

"Can't you control it?" Harry asked. "You've got to control it if we have any chance at this at all."

"I _am_ trying." It was unsettling when the Double repeated word for word what Snape said one second after he said it.

They stopped speaking when they heard a voice coming up at them as if the speaker were at the bottom of a well. "I will find you Potter, and you Severus. You cannot escape me. I am not afraid of this castle. Give me the Horcruxes and I will walk away from here."

The four of them and Snape's Double stared at one another. Hermione held her finger to her lips and waved them down the hall. There was a room there and a door that was partially open. It hung on its hinges and was covered with spider webs. They stepped inside.

"The Dark Lord thinks that we are caught in the castle and can't escape," Hermione said.

"Yes." Snape replied. "Which means he is not worried about that particular problem himself. It was what I was afraid of."

"So he can get out when he pleases?" Ron asked in consternation. "So much for entrapping him."

At that moment a ghost drifted into the room. It was a woman dressed in a very old style of robe. She carried a phantom candle and looked as if she were making ready to go to bed. They all turned to look at her and then back to each other. It was not surprising to find ghosts in the castle. It was surprising that there weren't more of them. The castle itself was over a thousand years old.

"Do you have them with you?" Harry asked Snape. "The Horcruxes? Maybe it's time we try and destroy them. Before you lose your...identity." He was addressing Snape. The Double and the real one nodded.

"Harry, can I talk to you for a minute in private?" Hermione was looking at the ghost who continued on with her nightly routine as if they were not present. She was probably unaware of them anyway. Many ghosts were like that.

Harry knew that Hermione would not ask it of him if it weren't important. He nodded and stepped out into the hall. Because their voices could carry they spoke in whispers. "What is it?"

"Don't you think that if we try and transfer the Horcrux into the Doppelganger now that he would resist... that the real Snape and the Doppelganger might try and stop us. Snape said it himself. They are becoming one and the Doppelganger is getting stronger. Even the scar didn't work. Did you notice the Double has one, too."

"What else can we do, Hermione?" Harry asked, shrugging in defeat. He was still in shock about what he overheard and the whole scenerio wanted to jump to the forefront of his mind and take up housekeeping. He was having difficulty thinking. "We might as well turn the Horcruxes over to Him. He'll just kill us all anyway. This way we can leave them behind and get out of the castle."

"Don't be hasty, Harry. I believe he is as lost as we are right now. And I don't think he can escape Gryffindor castle. It's a ruse. Our advantage is we can keep running from him through this maze. He might eventually run into us or we, into him. But I think not. We have time to think this through. Besides, what do you think it will do to Snape when the Horcrux is transferred into his Doppelganger? We never thought that the double would actually be stronger than the real Snape. It's like he's a parasite, eating away at his host until there's nothing left. No one really knew what a Doppelganger could do. No victim ever survived. We know we can't put a Horcrux into a living creature. Once the animal dies the Horcrux is destroyed. In this case we might actually be destroying so much of Snape that he can't survive the death of his double."

Harry sighed deeply and stared off into the darkness.

"I don't know what you learned when you possessed Voldemort," Hermione whispered. Harry turned back to her. This time he was angry. "Oh, I know you did. It was obvious. You blanked out like you were unconscious only with your eyes open. I also know Snape's double was in that room with him and because they are so connected the real Snape knows what happened, too."

"Hermione..." Harry began. He wanted her to stop. He could not tolerate the whole thing being brought out into the open. She would want to talk about it. He wasn't ready. Not yet, not even with her.

"I can guess, Harry," she said hastily. "Whatever it was it has changed how you and Snape feel about one another."

"I...I hate him," Harry said, his voice trembling. "I really, really hate him."

"Perhaps," Hermione murmured reached for his hand. "But not enough to murder him. And that is what we would be doing."

"Do you have a suggestion, because I'm all out of ideas."

They returned to the room. Snape stood at an open window looking out into the darkness. Ron was sitting on the floor and rose when they came in. "So what's the plan?"

Snape turned and the shadow that was his Double was so close that they turned in unison. It was more apparent to Harry that what Hermione said was true. The real Snape looked impotent and helpless.


	24. Chapter 24

(Natasha's note: For those of you who have been reading the most recent chapters, you may feel like this is a rough draft. And you're right. There are some discrepancies in the story line and I have been going back and correcting them as quickly as I can. I hope you bear with me and and will continue to enjoy Harry's Story.)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Father

Snape's Doppelganger stood staring out into the night but he wasn't really seeing anything. He wasn't thinking about their predicament. He was thinking about the letter. He did not doubt that it was genuine.

Her last words were shocking and horrific. _Why couldn't you ask me to stay? _she wrote and added. _I might have._

He was aware that he was the Double. Voldemort confirmed it. He was also aware that he was stronger than the real Snape. And what he wanted more than anything was to die. _Why not? _he thought_. Why not take the Horcruxes and save the boy. After all I am nothing but a Doppelganger. I can keep the promise I...you...we... made to her. _The Snape double stared at the human beside him and the real Snape stared back.

Although, he was not real, he had real feelings even if they were copied from the human at his side. He felt everything that a real human could feel. He felt like a real human.

He heard the boy's voice behind him when they entered the room and it sent chills through him.

_My son. He is my son. _The thoughts pricked at his brain like razors.

_He doesn't need me, _the real Snape thought_. Time can't erase what has passed between us. He hates me and I..._

_I hated him, _the Double finished the sentence_. He lived and Lily died and it was my fault, not his. But I blamed him. Every time I looked at him it reminded me of what I did. _

_I used the Candidas charm knowing that it would mean her death. I knew sooner or later Riddle would kill her. She sacrificed herself so the boy could live. _The real Snape gripped the sill of the window and thought about throwing himself out into the dark night to fall to his death. _I wanted her back. instead I got him, a constant reminder, every single day._

_She made me...you... do it. _The double thought, knowing that Snape shared the same memories. _You didn't want to._

_I can't live with this pain_, Snape thought. _It feels like I've lost her all over again._

_Can I abandon my son? Can I walk away from him the way I walked away from his mother? How many ways can I do the same despicable thing? _

The Double nodded. _We...I... have to do what needs to be done._

_You'll leave me behind? _the real Snape thought in shock. _No! You can't do that. All alone with myself? That would be worse then death._

It was obvious if anyone could have listened in that Snape was going insane. He now no longer wanted to rid himself of the Double. It had absorbed so much of his personality that, like a twin- a brother- he would miss his companion, felt he could not live without him. He was drowning in self-loathing and despair and nothing was stopping his descent. On the other hand the Doppelganger held the reins of sanity. _It's alright. I won't leave you, _it thought, comforting his human twin.

The real Snape was pale, paler then death. What he didn't know was that he was dying. The Doppelganger could not continue to live because he was truly absorbing the essence of the real Snape and he knew it.

While the real Snape could not or would not look at their predicament with any concern- he was now beyond that- the Double was thinking about their dilemma. _If it's true what they say, and I am what I am, I should be able to see in the dark, _he thought. The real Snape heard the thoughts (independent of his own) and did not react. He was beyond reacting_. I can search for the Dark Lord and find him. He will kill me and along with me destroy his own Horcruxes without knowing it. _At that, he disappeared.

Harry, Hermione and Ron sat on the floor oblivious to the struggle taking place in the man.

"Sooner or later he'll find us Hermione," Ron said, absentmindedly scratching in the dirt at his feet.

She nodded. "Until then we must think of what to do."

Harry didn't contribute to the conversation. His back to the wall, he was staring at Snape and the shadow that seemed to now, always be at his side. _What am I supposed to think? _he wondered. _How am I supposed to feel? He is my true father. But I hate him! I have hated him since the first day at Hogwarts. He has bullied and embarrassed and humiliated me for years. Can I send him to his death just because of that? Do I want him dead?_

"You know I was thinking," Hermione began. It seemed to Harry like hours had passed.

"What Hermione," he mumbled still deep in thought.

"Well that woman, the ghost," she nodded towards the ghost who now looked as if she were sleeping peacefully in her bed.

Ron glanced over at the ghost. "What about her?"

"Remember when we saw Peeves at Hogwarts and it gave me the idea of transferring the Horcruxes into a living creature, but a non-human one?"

"I don't think you can do that with a ghost, Hermione," Ron said, hesitantly. "I mean they have no substance. Technically they're not really alive. Wouldn't the Horcrux just...sort of...go through them?"

She stared at him and then nodded. "Yes, you're right. But there are other non-human forms. Remember, we joked about it; spiders, and such. Non of us would feel bad about killing one of them."

"That's all well and good Hermione, but I don't see us running into one in here."

"Harry could summon Dobby..." she began.

"I'm not getting him into this," Harry said quickly. "I wouldn't use him to do this. Besides I am not his master. I don't know that I can summon him. Remember it was Remus that sent him looking for me last time. I don't think we can count on him to rescue us this time. We weren't even suppose to enter the castle, if you remember."

"Let me finish, Harry," Hermione chided. "He could get us out of here and bring us what we needed at the same time."

"And just who would that be, Hermione?" Harry asked. "Hagrid, a dragon...who? It's not like we can just use any old non-human. I don't happen to have a mountain troll at my beck and call. Do you?"

"Don't go shooting down my ideas out-of-hand, Harry. I do not want to sit here and wait for Voldemort to stroll through the door and kill us all."

"Sorry," Harry mumbled. "One thing is for sure. At least we know that Voldemort is here with us."

"Yeah, so?' Ron mumbled.

"He's not with Ginny."

"Oh, right," Ron dropped his head with guilt. He'd forgotten about his missing sister.

"Ginny," Hermione murmured. "Well there were a whole lot of people at Hogwarts, Harry. I'm sure that everyone of them would be looking for her. And Ron, your mum and dad were there- and Mad-eye. They'll find her."

Ron nodded and appeared relieved.

Harry withdrew into his thoughts and time slipped away.

"Hey," Ron said a little too loudly.

"Ron, shush." Hermione frowned at him.

He leaned over and whispered, "Snape is gone. He's left his Double behind."

They all turned to stare at the man who was crumpled into the corner of the room, sitting on the floor, staring out of a window at the moon. His face was white and there was no life in it.

Harry got up and slowly walked over. "Hermione, bring me your mirror."

The other two joined him and Hermione handed him a compact. He opened it, bent down and tilted it before the man's face so that they could all see. There was a reflection.

"Oh my," Hermione breathed.

"Is he alive?" Ron asked, reaching out, almost touching the cold skin.

"Yes," Harry said. "He's still alive."

"Where do you suppose his Double is?" Ron asked, searching the room with his lit wand.

They all looked around. "I think we won't have to worry about finding that non-human we were talking about, Harry," Hermione whispered. "The Double is gone and he's taken the locket and the Phoenix."

They stared at one another and then looked down at the man. Harry slowly knelt down and reached for his hand; it was limp. Harry looked into the eyes but there was no recognition.

"Now what do we do?" Ron asked.

"It looks like the whole situation is out of our hands now, Harry," Hermione said kneeling by the innert Snape.

"We have to find the Other," Harry said.

"But..." she began to argue, turning to him. "But why? This is what we planned from the beginning."

"You don't understand Hermione," Harry mumbled. "Snape is my real father."

She turned back to Snape, studying the face of the catatonic man. "Oh, dear."

...

Ginny was waiting in the dark with Draco and Neville agonizing about the fact that she had not told her parents that she was alive and well and not in the hands of Voldemort. _But then_, she argued with herself, _if they knew, they would make me stay behind. No one will believe Neville's story and they certainly wouldn't let him go it alone. This is the best course._

"Are you ready? Neville asked.

She nodded. Draco took her by the arm and drew his wand. "If I have to I may have to hurt you a little just to show that I'm on their side."

She nodded and heard Neville grumbling at her back. "Just so you know Malfoy, if you hurt her too much , you'll get double in return."

"Stop being my big brother, Neville," she managed, taking a deep breath to quell her rising fears. "Don't I have enough of those already?" She knew that she had hurt his feelings when he let out a sigh. "Sorry."

"That's okay Ginny."

Ginny felt him watching as she and Draco moved to the house. She had known for a long time that Neville liked her. She felt bad about it because he was such a kind man and yet, she couldn't bring herself to share the same feelings. She did and always would, love Harry.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Lily Revisited

"Stay with him," Harry said, rising to his feet.

"But Harry!" Hermione protested, reaching for him.

"He's all I have left," Harry said. "I don't know what to make of it all but I want him to stay alive. He put a charm on me and if Voldemort finds him he'll die. I can't survive and go through all of that again. I couldn't do anything about it then, but I can now."

She held his arm. "That doesn't make sense, Harry. If Voldemort tries to kill you, Snape...your father... will die, just like your mother did."

"Not if what you said is true. If his Double is becoming more and more real, wouldn't he die instead?"

"Yes, but Harry, You have to expose yourself and deliberately force Voldemort's hand," Hermione gulped, looking down at the man. "And what will be left of the real Snape if Voldemort murders the Double?"

Ron was standing behind her looking every bit as frightened as she did. The tears in her eyes began spilling down her cheeks in sparkling trails.

"You...you both know how I feel about you?" Harry stuttered.

They nodded.

"Right." He turned and fled the room unable to look back. Hermione stared at the man on the floor and slowly knelt down beside him.

...

Remus lost the scent he followed but some intuition lingered in his half-human form. He returned to Godric's Hollow, a place where he had been loved and where he felt safe. He always felt more human there when he was transforming.

He stood in front of the cottage, lights blazing from the windows and an open door. He didn't need to walk inside to know from his sense of smell that the wizard Voldemort had been there. And Snape. Or what smelled like Snape. Remus' befuddled brain had forgotten about the Doppelganger. Still, the scent was strong enough. He turned and stared at the castle on the hill silhouetted against the full moon. The scent trail went that way.

Just looking at the moon made his pulse quicken. He almost dropped to all fours, instead he crouched low and started running for the ancient, crumbling stairway that led to the entrance. He could smell the lingering presence of his own scent as he ran, knowing somewhere in his mind that he had been to the castle recently, as had others of his kind. He could even smell the infinitesimal odor of rotting bodies and dried blood. There had been a massacre.

He ran faster, powerful animal lungs fueled the engine that drove the pistons of his legs. Human, he could not run like this. He was always weak and ill. As a wolf he was fast and lethal. The potion that he had drunk earlier could not subdue the resurgence of the wolf part of him; not in the presence of the moon and the desire for the blood of his prey. He transformed.

...

Voldemort stalked the hallways of the dark castle maze. His eyes had adjusted relatively well since they were no longer truly human. And yet they weren't as astute as the Doppelganger who trailed behind him.

Periodically, the dark wizard would turn in a half circle and listen, sniff and wait. The Snape Double also stopped and waited. He would not give himself away just yet. They played a cat and mouse game. Snape wanted to drive Voldemort deeper into the bowels of the castle and away from Potter and his friends. _Keep away from my son, _he thought. _You will not hurt him, _he thought.

And even though Voldemort was not aware that the Double was close by he continued to taunt him knowing his voice was reverberating through the halls_._

"Do you know what Lily Potter did when I went to her, Severus? She begged me to let her live. She wasn't thinking of her son. Or should I say _your_ son. She didn't tell you about him did she, Severus? Why is that? How did you feel about her sleeping with another man, laying next to him, marrying him, all the while she carried your son inside of her?"

Voldemort made his way from corridor to corridor, stepping into open doorways, lazily examining empty rooms.

"Pettigrew told me, you know. He told me you asked him to warn Lily Potter and her husband that I was looking for them. Of course, he didn't let on, did he? He kept our little secret. He was working for me all along, for a little favor, Severus. He was jealous of his friends and their affection for one another. He wanted Lily Potter all to himself and he knew I could give him the love potion that would make it happen. Get rid of the husband and the friends and he would have her all to himself. And she would have gone to him...probably without the potion."

"Quite the little minx, wasn't she Severus." The wizard laughed as he strolled leisurely down dark hallways. "I'm being rather kind aren't I. Should I say Mudblood whore?"

And on it went.

Neither were aware of the muted sound of four running padded feet. The wolf ran through the dark his eyes even more acutely sensitive then even theirs. He could smell them. They were closer than the others that were somewhere high up in the ruins.

...

Draco and Ginny stood before two Death eaters, Dolohov and Rookwood. Their faces were familiar. They had been at the Ministry of Magic.

"Let us take her, Draco," one said.

Draco shook his head, his wand at the ready. "No. The Dark Lord will be pleased that I am the one who's caught her. If I have to I can summon my father and he can decide."

"Summon him then Draco," Rookwood said and laughed. "From what I understand he'd like to have a word with you himself. He's asked any one of us that finds you to bring you to him. Now we have you both."

Ginny didn't look at Draco and didn't show how discouraged she was really feeling at that minute.

Draco could do nothing else but nod. She and Draco were prodded into the house at the tips of the wizard's wands.

Fortunately, they were led into a room where a rather large snake rested in front of a cold fireplace. An ornate desk took up the rest and sitting on it was an open box. A beautiful cup was laid on blue velvet inside. Ginny saw it but focused on the snake.

"Wait here with them," Dolohov said. "I will summon Lucius."

"What do we do now?" Draco asked.

"Wait for Neville," Ginny said.

"You don't have to wait long, Miss Weasley," a voice said from behind them. She turned and found Lucius Malfoy and Neville Longbottom standing in the doorway. The two Death eaters were behind them.

Malfoy waved them away and they left. He then relaxed and pulled a very reluctant Neville into the room. "Draco, I am not playing games, tonight," Lucius hissed. "I thought you were safely at Hogwarts and here I find you right where you shouldn't be."

Draco blushed. "I know father."

"I can explain," Ginny began and then stuttered to a halt. Malfoy was raising an eyebrow at her and looking at her expectantly." I guess I can't."

"Someone had better explain and right now," Malfoy hissed.

Neville was watching their exchange and glancing at the snake on the floor.

Ginny and Draco both turned to Neville and Lucius followed their look.

"WELL?" Lucius snarled, his teeth gritted together in a grimace. "Please explain. We do not have much time!"

"You can torture me if you want, but I won't tell you anything!' Neville said grimly.

Lucius rolled his eyes in frustration.

"It's not like that, Longbottom," Draco whined.

"Neville you can trust him. WE have no one else that can help us. He's trying to protect us," Ginny pleaded.

Neville stared at her and then at Lucius.

"Mr. Longbottom," Lucius said slowly. "WE do not have all the time in the world. Why are you all here?"

Neville slowly began to speak. He talked about Snape having a Doppelganger and how Harry had learned of the Horcruxes and set out to destroy them. He told the wizard about the snake and how it held a Horcrux and that he was sent to kill it. "You-know-who is looking for them now I think." he muttered. " Harry and the others were going to trick him and try to imprison him long enough to destroy the other two Horcruxes. If they do then he will be mortal and can be killed."

Lucius listened with a bland look on his face. It was hard to determine just what he was making of the whole story. "How were you supposed to kill the snake? he asked.

Neville pulled out the pocket watch and held it out.

"With a pocket watch?" Lucius grunted.

"It's the Gryffindor sword," Neville said. "Harry said only a Gryffindor could weld it."

Lucius slowly pulled out his wand.

"You see Ginny," Neville cried, "He can't be trusted. He's going to kill us and Harry's going to die!"

Lucius waved his wand and instead of attacking Neville, he transformed the watch into the sword. Neville stood, eyes partly closed in a wince until he felt the cold weight of the steel in his palm.

"What are you waiting for?" Lucius asked. "Kill it."

...

"Hermione what are we going to do?" Ron asked. He sat on the floor near Snape but addressed her as if they were alone in the room. "Are we going to let Harry go after Voldemort alone. Are you sure Voldemort can't kill him?"

"I think not, Ron," Hermione said looking at Snape.

"What makes you say so?"

"Snape was in love with Lily Potter. He put the charm on her that rebounded and crushed Voldemort. It killed her but it saved Harry. I think...I think what he did on the stairs outside was the same charm. If Voldemort tries to kill Harry it will kill the Double instead, just like it did to his mother."

"But what about this Snape? Why won't it kill him?"

"Don't you see, Ron. The Double _is_ Snape. This man..." she nodded at Snape, "is a shell. I think that if Voldemort tries to kill Harry, he will end up killing the Double and the real Snape will survive."

"So that's what you meant, Hermione. Ron gazed at the man. "Won't be much left if he stays like this."

Hermione nodded. "Ron, Harry, won't have a father; he'll have this."

Ron studied the stone-still figure propped against the castle wall. Snape's face was empty of emotion, of thought, of expression. There was no light in the eyes. "Hermione, I think that he's already gone. I mean he's still breathing and all but he's dying. That's obvious. In the end Harry will survive and Voldemort will be gone for good. The Horcrux will be destroyed along with the Double. That's what we want. We can't save Snape. No one has ever survived a Doppelganger."

"But he is Harry's father!" she cried. "You heard him. Harry's gone after the Other- the Double- to protect him. He can't let him sacrifice himself by destroying the Horcrux. Not now, not after he learned about the charm. How much can one person take, Ron? Harry has lived with death all his life; his parents, Sirius, Dumbledore. I don't care what he feels for Snape right now. He has to have the chance to find out if he can learn to care about him. It's his only chance for a family. If we don't do something, all of this will have been for nothing because the Horcrux won't be destroyed and Voldemort will cut across our world like a blazing torch. Half-bloods and muggle-born will be the first to go. If Voldemort kills Snape first, theDouble first- the protective spell no longer works. Voldemort will kill Harry, and move on; your family and then every other family that resists."

"Hermione, no one has ever survived a Doppelganger." Ron cried. "Snape...well just look at him! It's too late."

Hermione shook her head at him and snarled, "Old wives tales."

"Wha...what are those?" Ron asked in confusion. "What are wive's tails?"

Hermione dropped to the ground and crawled closer to Snape, leaned in and spoke into his ear, gently, softly as a lover would. "Your son is going to die, Severus. You loved Lily and what is left of her is going to die. You have to find the strength to help him." She continued talking, taking his hand and holding it to her breast. "He's gone to save you. Will you let him sacrifice himself so that you can live?"

Ron sat back and watched as she murmured to the man. He was brought to tears by her words and her gentleness.

"Hermione..." he muttered. "You have to remind him that Lily Potter loved him, too. After all she had his son."

"I think he knows, Ron," she stroked his hand and turned his face to her. "That's why he is in pain. That's why his Double became so strong." she turned to him. "You gave up didn't you? Something happened that made it impossible for you and Lily to be together. She married another man but had she carried your child." Hermione glanced over to Ron. " I think he wasn't aware that Harry was his until tonight. Didn't you see how they looked there on the stairs? Harry possessed Voldemort and Snape's Double was in the same room at the same time. Something changed them. I think they both found out at that instant who they really were- father and son."

"Blimey," Ron sniffed.

Hermione nodded and turned to Snape once again. "She was beautiful with all that long auburn hair and those green eyes. Your son has the same green eyes, the same gentle spirit, but he has a part of you, too. He is fearless, loyal and strong. So are you. There must have been a time when you and Lily were happy, when you were lovers and you shared your heart with her. Try and remember."

Snape felt the touch of her hand in the depths of darkness that enveloped him. He heard a voice but it was a different voice that whispered in his ear.

"Lily..." he sighed.

Hermione jumped in surprise and then leaned in further. "Yes, Lily. Remember?"

"We played together," he murmured. "I watched you on the swings at the playpark with your sister and you laughed. It sounded so beautiful. I could not take my eyes off of you. I watched you for a long time and I finally talked to you. You didn't laugh at me or make fun of my clothes. I didn't...I didn't feel embarrassed around you. And, I told you about Hogwarts. We talked for hours. I was the first to tell you about wizards and witches."

"Yes, you did Severus. It was the most wonderful thing. The beginning of our lives together," Hermione stroked his face.

Snape frowned. "I was always hurting you though. I made your sister mad at me. She told you that I lied about magic and about Hogwarts. I didn't but you didn't believe me. And then you got your letter and you said you were sorry that you were mean to me. I didn't know how to talk to you after that. You didn't trust me. Sometimes you wouldn't come to the play yard at all even though I was there everyday; waiting."

"Hermione, you're losing him," Ron whispered.

She gazed at him and tried again. "Severus, we were lovers. We grew up together and we became lovers. Do you remember? We were together at Hogwarts. And then we left and we became lovers."

The frown on Snape's brow smoothed out and he nodded. The memory changed his face and as he sat lost in the past he seemed to grow younger and even boyishly handsome.

"I laughed at you when you fell into the lake," he said. "I didn't mean to but it was so funny." He chuckled aloud and Ron drew back from both of them in horror.

"Blimey! Have you ever heard him laugh before, Hermione?"

She turned and frowned at him and rolled her eyes. "Roooonnnnn," she groaned under her breath. "I am trying to do something here."

"Sorry."

Hermione turned back to Snape. The face was now animated and alive although Snape was not in the present. She pulled back her hair and took a deep breath and leaned forward and kissed him.

Ron's jaw dropped and he gasped. "Ahhhhh, gahhhhhh," whooshed from his mouth.

Snape's eyes were closed when Hermione sat up. She ignored Ron and whispered to the man, "We had a child together, Severus. Harry. His name is Harry. But he's going to die if you don't protect him. If you love me you'll protect, Harry."

The words were magical. Snape's eyes opened and he stared at her. She barely breathed, watching, waiting for him to swim up from the depths. He blinked and reached up with his hand to touch her hair. "You died. I held you in my arms and you were dead. I couldn't save you. I tried so hard to save you."

Hermione nodded. "It's alright, Severus. It wasn't your fault. But Harry is still alive and he needs you."

"I promised..." Snape murmured.

"You promised..." Hermione repeated, holding the hand that stroked her hair.

"I promised you I would take care of him no matter what happened. I have watched him all of these years and protected him, Lily. I won't let Voldemort hurt him."

"Good...good Severus," she smiled. "But he's in danger now and you have to keep your promise. You have to find him and protect him."

Snape nodded slowly. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to tell you how much I love you."

"I love you, too, Severus. We have a son. His name is Harry. He's in danger."

Snape slowly sat up as if he had been taking a long nap. "Harry is in danger."

"Yes, Harry has gone to fight Voldemort."

"No! No, he can't do that!" Suddenly, Snape was wide awake and scrambling to his feet. He turned in circles as if he wasn't sure where he was. Then his wand was in his hand and he was staring at Hermione.

"What has happened? Where am I?" He was wide-eyed and pale, but alert.

"Do you remember the Doppelganger?" Hermione asked.

"Doppelganger." Snape repeated. There was a moment where he stood perplexed, frowning with concentration and then his eyes cleared. "Yes. I remember. He and I are in here together." He pointed at his skull with his wand. It made Ron cringe. It was like pointing a loaded gun to his head.

The three stood in the darkness with only the tip of a wand throwing light into the room. The moon had sailed away from the open window and the night was on the wane.

"He's following Voldemort!" Snape said tersely and headed for the door.

"Who? Harry?" Ron asked, jumping to his feet. "Is it Harry?"

Snape stopped and looked at Ron as if coming upon him for the first time. "No. My Double. Potter is not far behind."

"We've got to hurry." Hermione got to her feet. "We're coming, too."

Snape stopped in the doorway and turned to her. "Was I dreaming or did you kiss me?"

Hermione shrunk back and stammered, "Yes...well... yes. I..." she began to explain and he cut her short.

He nodded and said very gently, "Thank you. Now we should go." He disappeared out into the dark corridor.

Hermione was left with her mouth hanging open.

"Come on," Ron growled and followed Snape.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-six

The Last Horcrux

It was a grisly thing to do and Neville thought initially when Harry told him what must be done that it would be the last thing that he _could _do. And yet, all it took was remembering his parents, the years of suffering he had endured as a result of Voldemort and his grandmother's encouraging touch and Neville swung the sword like an expert. The snake didn't even have time to respond.

The beheaded snake writhed on the ground as if it could live without it's head and a greenish, gaseous substance leaked from its dismembered body and disappeared. It finally heaved it's last dying spasm and lay still; twitching now and again as the nerves died.

Lucius studied it for a moment. "Well, that's it. Now we have to get you all out of here."

He went to the door and then to the window behind the desk. His gaze dropped to the open box and the cup. "If I'm right then this is the missing Hufflepuff cup."

He reached for it and Ginny reacted. "Stop, Don't touch it."

Lucius stood still, his hand paused in midair.

"The diary was a Horcrux, too," Ginny said, hoarsely. "I was possessed by it. Harry destroyed the Horcrux in it by stabbing it with a Basilisk fang." They stared at each other and she moved to the desk. "Dumbledore was mortally wounded when he destroyed the ring. If you touch it..." Her voice dropped off.

Lucius Malfoy let his hand fall to his side. "SO that is why he was angry about the diary."

Ginny watched wide-eyed as he moved the box within easy reach. "If what you tell me is the truth, then they all must be destroyed before Lord Voldemort can become mortal again. Did Snape or Potter tell you how it is to be done?" he asked, looking over at Neville who was still standing with the sword grasped firmly in his hands.

Neville shook his head. "Hermione said that if the Horcrux was in a living creature then that creature could die and what was inside it would be destroyed." He glanced at the snake. "She was right about that, I think."

"Where were they going to try and capture him?" Lucius asked.

"Godric Gryffindor castle," Neville mumbled. There was a intake of surprised breath by all of them.

"Gryffindor castle," Lucius repeated.

"Yeah." Neville nodded.

"I think I am beginning to see the plan," Lucius said leaning over the desk, a hand on either side of the box staring at the cup. "Tell me again what objects were used to make the Horcruxes?"

"The Slytherin ring, the diary, a locket owned by Riddle's mother, the Hufflepuff cup," Ginny said and nodded towards the cup, " a statue of a Phoenix, and the snake."

Lucius nodded. "Yes. Alright then, we need to get you all out of here." He very carefully reached over to slam the lid on the box and Ginny beat him to it. She picked it up and stuck it in her robes.

"I'll take that," she said, firmly.

"Of course," Lucius breathed. "Will you be joining me then, Miss Weasley?"

"She won't be alone, father," Draco said. "We're all going with you."

...

"Your face haunts me, Lily," Snape thought as he moved through the halls. The other two were behind him trying to keep up. He knew approximately where his Doppelganger was because he could see with his eyes. However, they were not joined together so much that Snape had lost himself entirely. As long as he stayed focused on her, he could function. He replayed every moment they were together in his mind.

...

Voldemort felt strange. The moment Nagini had been killed he began to lose a certain mental acuity; or rather, it became strangely more animalistic. Suddenly, the rats that ran down the empty hallways foraging for food smelled delicious. He could even hear their rustling in the exposed walls. He had no idea what had brought on this change, as his thoughts were also changing. He was beginning to forget where he was and why he was there. Odd appendages were dangling from his torso and a strange cloth skin slid away from his beautiful body.

It was cold in the castle and his blood began to cool. He suddenly became conscious that he was tired and needed to rest. And yet, a few human neurons were still firing. _I am on the hunt, _he reminded himself. _I am looking for humans. They want to kill me and I must destroy them first._

And although he was fast losing the sense of what exactly that meant he was also becoming much more lethal. Somewhere deep in the shrinking cortex of his brain he realized there was something very important he needed to do. It had something to do with his soul. IF lost, his existence was threatened. And for that reason, he hung onto the last shreds of his humanity. He could still speak although words were distorted. He could still hold a wand and knew how to use it. His new instincts sharpened his old ones and he stopped to listen and sniff the air with his tongue. Body heat from every source was as bright as a candle flame. One such source was not very far away.

...

Outside the castle in the warm night air four shapes materialized at the foot of the stairs leading to the ruins.

"You first, Mr. Malfoy," Ginny said.

Lucius began climbing the stairs, followed by Draco, Ginny and Neville.

...

Harry followed the Double on his wanderings through the castle. It was much more difficult using only human eyes and he could not afford to light his wand. He could no longer count on using the very infrequent light of the moon that would peek through windows and doors open to the outside world. Voldemort was leading them down, down into the center of the castle. Here the walls were chipped from bedrock and there were no windows.

He stopped, listened and then moved ahead, hoping that his foot would not stray from the stair and he would inadvertently plunge down into some open hole or fall off the side of a steep stairway. He could smell the musky odor of algae built up over the years near an open spring or a water supply and the powdery dust of generations already filled the air, stirred up by passing feet.

It helped when Voldemort would call out. Of course he was saying many disgusting things about Harry's mother and his own birth; all directed at Snape. Harry used his voice as a compass. The words fueled the fire that was burning in his gut. He was alone and on his own. He expected no help.

And then surprisingly, he heard footsteps in the distance running in his direction. He stopped and peered into the blackness and wondered who could be coming towards him. Not Hermione or Ron, they were still with Snape.

Snape.

_You were there all along_, he thought. _If we had known about each other would it have made a difference? Can you imagine the nights I dreamed about what it was like to have a real family? A mother and a father? Not the Dursleys. That wasn't family. I would have been raised like a real wizard's child._

_I can't fault you mother, not really. I didn't even know you and how could I judge what it was like then. If it was like Ginny and me then I could understand. Still, the man Snape became is just... _He stopped the thought and redirected. _What was it like for you mother? You had to keep me a secret. Why? Why didn't you tell him?_

And then an amazing thought crossed Harry's mind. He had visited Mrs. Higgins only a day or two before when all of this started. And she had placed a letter in his hands his mother left him. He tucked it into his robe pockets in haste. They had seconds to get away before Death eaters charged into the house and found him there. He apparated and was so worried about hurting the poor woman he forgot all about the letter.

Now in the deep darkness of the castle with little hope of escape and almost certain death he felt in his robes. There was a crisp, crackling feel to one of the pockets. He withdrew the letter and lit his wand. He stood in a stairwell that spiraled down into a darkness so deep he could have been at the center of the earth. Believing that it was safe for the moment, he read the envelope. It said simply: _Harry_

It was also in her hand as the other letter had been. He cracked the wax seal and opened it. It was a hastily written note.

_Dear Son, I am leaving this letter with a trusted friend. Hopefully, you will never have to read it. If all goes well I will survive and I will fetch this and burn it. But if it is in your hands then I am dead and there is no one to tell you what you must know. James is not your real father, but he has been the best father to you that one can be. WE both love you beyond measure._

_Secondly, you must search out your real father- Severus Snape. He is unaware of his relationship to you, but I believe that he will guide and protect you to the best of his ability. Trust in him as I have. Do not fault him for the choices I made. Love him if you can._

_I am sorry that you have to read this. And perhaps you never will. I intend to tell you all of this as soon as you are old enough to understand. Please believe that I did what I thought was necessary. You have my love always, Mum_

Harry sat on a step in the stairwell and reread the letter several times. In his heart he knew what it would say. If he had read it when Mrs. Higgins gave it to him he wasn't sure that he wouldn't have torn it up. As things stood he was past the anger and shock. He realized that he had his friends and he had someone he cared deeply about and if he survived, life could be better. He had to let go of the past.

He heaved himself to his feet and left his wand burning. _Time to face Voldemort,_ he thought. _Stop hiding in the dark, Harry_.

He had two objectives. Find the Doppelganger and transfer the Horcrux to him. Force Voldemort to dual; lose. Snape's charm would do the rest. He would survive and he would lose another father. _Not bad for one day Harry_, he decided. _So easy. Just let Snape die. Isn't he dying anyway? Get rid of an evil wizard and then get up in the morning and go on with life._

Harry knew that it was not so simple. But he could not think beyond these thoughts.

"I hurt your mother," the voice came from around the bend of the stairwell.

Harry's head came up as well as his wand.

Snape climbed the stairs from below to face him. "I hurt her very badly and I couldn't take it back. She loved me and wanted me to stay with her. I wanted to but I..." his head dropped for a minute and then came up again, "I couldn't."

"Why not?" Harry asked. He realized he was talking to the Double but as far as he knew, for all intents and purpose it was the real Snape.

"It was too dangerous. I stayed with Voldemort because I wanted to make sure she was protected. I learned very early on that the families of Death eaters were vulnerable, as you can imagine. HE didn't like attachments."

Harry nodded with understanding. "I've worried about my friends. Every time something happened to one of them I felt bad. When Cedric Diggory died I thought I couldn't go on and I was ready to give up. And then Sirius was killed and I think I lost... my heart. It didn't matter anymore if Voldemort killed me. I was ready to let him. And then Dumbledore died and I realized it wasn't about me anymore, someone had to stop him."

Snape studied his face and then also nodded. "You should let me do this. I have already transferred the Horcrux into my body. I fight it now but it will have control of me soon. Face him and let him try and kill you. Once I am gone, the Horcruxes are gone and he cannot survive. You should know Voldemort tries to guide me as he did when I killed Dumbledore. It is only with the greatest effort that I am able to keep my identity."

"My mother," Harry said, ignoring Snape's words. "I want to know more before you make that sacrifice."

"I didn't know that you were my son. I guess I never gave it a thought. Although, once I learned of it, I believed. It made sense. She went to James because he had confessed his feelings for her many times. I was still with her but not...emotionally or mentally. I was trying to keep from doing some of the things Voldemort was ordering. I even took the dark mark hoping it would show that I could be trusted, that he would leave me alone and those I was close to. But I thought... I thought if I became what he wanted that I would lose your mother forever. She would not be able to look at me and see that I was not a monster. She told me she felt alone even when I was there. And I was torn. How could I keep pushing her away and save our relationship."

Harry nodded. "You gave her up to keep her safe." He was thinking of Ginny and the torment he felt at leaving her behind.

The Snape double nodded very slowly,"I tried very hard to tell myself that she was with a better man. But I hated James Potter. He was a bully when we were in Hogwarts whether you chose to believe it or not. I didn't want her to go to him," Snape said quietly. He dipped his head once again and sighed. "You and I both heard the letter..."

"She still loved you," Harry said.

Snape nodded.

"Why did you hate me so much?" Harry asked.

Snape looked at him with sad eyes. "You lived and she sacrificed herself to let you live. She made me put the charm on her. It was the only thing, in the end, she wanted of me. It is dark magic." Snape shook his head slowly. "Do you understand. All I could give her was my dark side. I believed...I believed that there was a part of you that was damaged by that spell. And there were signs that I was right; being able to speak parseltongue, your connection to him. I would never have guessed that it was due to his dark magic and not mine until I learned of the Horcruxes."

"Dumbledore thought that Voldemort transferred some of his magic to me when he tried to make the last Horcrux- the Phoenix."

Snape stared at him. "Perhaps the Phoenix is not a whole Horcrux."

Harry nodded. "I think part of it is in me."

"But..." Snape began, his eyes wide with the new information.

"Dumbledore always said that it couldn't take me over because there was a part of me that was good and not evil." Harry shrugged. "It still remains. If all the others are destroyed then I will become the next Lord Voldemort. Can't see that happening can you? Your sacrifice will mean nothing, if I am not killed as well."

"Wait," Snape said, climbing one stair closer.

"Perhaps you should see this." Harry handed the letter in his hand to Snape who took it. "Mother left it behind. Mrs. Higgins, a neighbor, was suppose to give it to me. But she forgot and it stayed on a shelf all these years.

Snape read the letter. A quiet sob broke the silence.

"I'm sorry that it hurts you," Harry said quietly. "I loved her, too. Maybe that's something we share in common. It's a beginning I think." With those words he raised his wand and sent the stunning spell. The Snape Double was not prepared. It worked, which told Harry that the Double was now human enough that a spell could work on him.

"Sorry, father. I don't think your protective spell is going to work this time round. I think he will kill both of us and there will be only one Horcrux left. I've taken care of that one I think. I'm stunning you to give myself a chance to get ahead of you. By the time you find him I'll be dead. You didn't take into account that the protective spell you put on me won't work if I'm a Horcrux. After I am gone it will be your turn to sacrifice yourself. Our lives have been going in this direction for a long time, perhaps it is our destiny. I think that we are a lot alike really." Harry considered his words and nodded to himself. "Yeah, a lot alike."

Harry began the descent into the deepest darkness of his life.

Somewhere above him the real Snape knew what had happened and found the renewed energy and life force to move faster.

Lupin hid within the depths of the castle having found his way by scent through a circuitous maze of passages and corridors. He was watching Voldemort who now looked like a gigantic snake. Wolves, as animals, have a natural aversion to reptiles and an instinct that tells them when a snake is venomous. Regardless they tend to avoid them when possible. It was no different for Lupin. His human prey was within a short distance but on the other side of the large cavernous room and further up inside the castle.

He lay on the cold hard floor and watched, head on paws, waiting.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-seven

Sins of the Father

_Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers_; Psalm 79:8

Malfoy, Ginny and Draco ran head on into Snape, Hermione and Ron. It appeared as if the magic-imbued castle of Godric Gryffindor had forced their unification.

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Malfoy," Snape said in greeting without reacting.

They all stopped.

"Where is Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Why are you with him?" Ron asked, drawing his wand. "And him?" He looked first at Lucius and then at Draco.

"He's trying to help," Neville said hesitantly. "At least I think he is. He helped me kill the snake, Nagini."

"He did!" Hermione breathed in surprise. She turned to Neville with renewed interest. "It worked? Did it work, Neville?" The young man nodded and produced the Gryffindor sword.

"Is this the Doppelganger? Lucius asked, raising his wand. At that everyone had their wand out.

"This is Snape," Hermione said. "The Double went after Voldemort and Harry went after the Double"

"What?" Lucius whirled on her.

"We are trying to find them," Hermione explained staring down the length of the wand.

"What about the Horcruxes?" Ginny asked.

"You told him?" Ron asked nodding to Malfoy.

"Yes. We have one with us."

"You do?" Hermione stuttered, dumbfounded. "The cup. Is it the cup?"

The four nodded in unison.

"Snape is Harry's real father and Snape put a charm on him. If Voldemort tries to kill Harry he'll lose his body like he did when he tried to kill Harry the first time. Snape's double is suppose to transfer the Horcruxes to himself and sacrifice himself. When Snape's double dies, then the Horcruxes are destroyed. Harry's trying to rescue the Double to stop him. But if the Double dies, Harry will lose his father because he (pointing at the real Snape) and the Double are becoming one person. WE think that the locket which was supposed to be a Horcrux has already been destroyed. That only leaves the cup."

They stood in silence. Ron glanced around, "What? It's true." They all lowered their wands.

"Now that we have them all and the snake is dead..." Hermione said, thoughtfully.

Lucius broke the silence. "All of you go ahead. I want to talk to Severus."

"It will do you little good to speak to him," Hermione said, stopping before joining the others. "The essence of Snape is now mostly in the Double. I think that he stays on his feet and is focused because he has promised to protect Harry."

"Harry stunned my Double, just now, but he is awake and following close behind." Snape mumbled, stone-faced. " I believe they will meet with the Dark Lord very soon,"

"We'll go ahead, "Ron suggested and the younger people moved off into the darkness while Lucius faced Snape. "How much of you is still in there? How much does the Dark Lord control?"

"He has little control of my Double now," Snape said staring off into the dark. "He is hardly human. Nevertheless, he is still formidable." Snape was as wooden as a puppet.

"Is it true?" Lucius asked. "Are you the boy's father?"

Snape nodded.

"Then you must do something for me." Lucius pulled out the box that held the cup. It had been very easy to nip it from the Weasley girl while they stood in the dark. After all Lucius was a master of magic and he could not let her keep it in her possession. Not with what it contained.

"You have the last Horcrux," Snape said, staring at the box. "Do you intend to use it to revive him?"

Malfoy studied the dark eyes and the absence of the complete Snape within. "No. I want him dead. He forced Draco to take the dark mark and I will not let him use my son. He killed my wife and he will kill us all. That is not what I wanted. Now that you know that you have a son do you understand?"

The real Snape didn't move.

"It doesn't matter. I want you to take the Horcrux out of the cup and put it in me." Lucius opened the box and held it up in the light.

"Very well," Snape said. There was no resistance, no emotion. Snape waved his wand and the deed was done.

Malfoy stepped back, his hand to his chest as if he had been dealt a mortal blow. The box with the cup dropped from his hands and rolled out into the dark, off a precipice and into a deep abyss. Lucius looked stunned momentarily and then recovered. "Let's go."

...

Lupin heard them speaking. Somewhere in the wolf lived a human being. The night was dying and soon it would be dawn although in these depths one could not see the pink light of the new day. The huge snake seemed to wander aimlessly around the cavern. It held its wand awkwardly but it was lit and shone on the walls.

The cavern resembled an ancient temple of sorts. One made by druids or old wizards. Many of the symbols were enigmatic, the meaning lost to the ages. Monolithic stones lined an avenue and in the end a enormous Lion was chipped from the granite. Beside it were figures representing the other Hogwarts houses; the eagle, badger and serpent.

The light did not reach the ceiling of the cavern nor the far reaches of its borders. One could easily believe that no living human had entered these depths in a millennium. Perhaps, the beginning of magic originated in this place. If a person were to stand at the alter below the Lion and the other symbols they might hear the echo of tribal drums; ancient wizards performing a magic that they had yet to understand and control. There would not be good magic or dark magic; just magic, in its rawest and purist form.

Perhaps the ghosts of those ancient wizards surveyed the scene taking place in the cavern. Perhaps even Godric Gryffindor and his companions, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. If so, they remained unseen.

Two people entered the cavern and were stunned by the sight before them. It was not the temple that froze their breath in their lungs and forced their hearts to beat hard. It was the sight before them; the last vestiges of a wizard now become a monster. That which was evil inside had been made manifest. Tom Riddle cum Lord Voldemort was now a snake; a huge, gigantic snake.

The face was no longer human although there was still the form of a head and the slope of shoulders that became ever more narrow on the elongated body. There were arms but no legs. The legs had become a tail that whipped and rattled furiously in the air. It was the only sound reverberating through the lair.

The snake stood at the alter mesmerized by the stone snake on the wall above its head.

It was speaking in parseltongue. _"We shall rule the world once again Lord Slytherin. I shall take your place. This time there will be no others to interfere with our destiny."_

Only Harry could understand what the snake was saying.

"Your time has come to an end Riddle," Harry hissed.

The Doppelganger of Snape came from behind to grab his arm. "No!"

But it was too late. The snake turned and coiled.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Dawn

The attack is immediate. The Killing curse hits Harry mid-center just as Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Draco find the cavern. He hears Ginny scream and thinks that it is just a dream. She can't be here in this darkness he thinks. _How can she be here? _he wonders.

The force of the curse spins him around and he is in time to see the Doppelganger drop to his knees, arms spread out as if in supplication, his mouth open but not emitting any sound. Harry has seen this before. The green light, then immediate death. Harry knows the Double is dead. The curse has struck them both. Harry feels something spin out from his center, like an umbilical cord after birth. It is a lifeline that breaks and vaporizes. Harry only feels it but it doesn't register in his brain.

He steps over to the prostrate Doppelganger and kneels at his side only to look up to see the real Snape step into view. Lucius Malfoy is behind him. Seeing them both is a surprise. But there is no time to feel anything, to wonder, to question. The curse hits Harry but it doesn't kill him. It causes him pain. SO much that he is almost helpless. All he can do is kneel beside the dead Doppelganger and watch what is going on around him.

At the same time a large wolf leaps into the circle of stone, and stands between the group on one side and Voldemort on the other. He turns to the humans. The expression on his face is surprisingly human. The wizard-snake moves very fast, much faster than Harry thinks is possible. Before anyone can react the real Snape throws a spell at the werewolf just before the snake reaches it . Snape's spell hits the mark. And because Voldemort has forgotten he is a wizard and who carries a wand, his reptilian instincts take over and his rather large, glistening fangs sink into the wolf, lifting him high in the air and then dropping almost Harry's feet. The wolf shudders in his death throes.

Harry has his hand on the wolf, shaking his head, mouthing the words, No! No! His hand is up trying to stop it all. But he is helpless. Everything is in motion.

From behind them all Neville runs directly at the snake.

"Neville, no!" Hermione screams. Neville swings the sword, its' metal glimmers in the light as if it is set afire by some preternatural source. He advances on the snake, fearlessly pushing it back; and back further. Away from the others.

"Snape!" Lucius pulls on Snape's arm as he watches the boy advance on the snake. "Kill me now! Do it! Do it now before he can take me."

Harry is stunned and speechless. _It is all happening so fast. Lupin is dead. Why is he dead? Why is Lucius Malfoy here? _he wonders_. Where did Ginny come from? Is Snape dead, or is he alive? _He looks between the dead Doppelganger and the living man. Why am I still alive? _Why does Malfoy want Snape to kill him?_ _What is Neville doing? He is going to get himself killed! Stop, everyone stop! I can't think._

"What? What are you doing?" he gasps as Snape draws his wand and points it at Lucius Malfoy.

"Father!" Draco cries out, pushing Ron aside. "Snape stop!"

Ron grabs his arm and takes him in a strangle-hold, while Ginny disarms him.

Harry looks back at Voldemort. The fangs are dripping with venom and his wand is up.

Neville is directly in front of the snake and the yellow-slit eyes of the reptile are upon him.

Harry rises to his feet and aims his wand. Snape shouts the Killing curse at the same time Harry throws his. "Avada Kedavra!" They shout in unison. Green light explodes throughout the cavern ricocheting off the walls, spiraling up into the darkness and illuminating the stone faces on the wall. It looks like the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Sytherin are watching.

Malfoy crumples to the ground a second before the second curse thrown by Harry hits Voldemort. Neville swings the blade at the snake midsection, cutting the snake in half just as the fangs reach him. Then with grace and fluidity he chops the head off and avoids being bitten.

There is an eerie shriek that echoed around inside the chamber. It's deafening to the survivors. It has escaped from the snake.

Harry kneels beside Lupin who has transformed at the dawn of the new day. He is dead but he is inhuman form.

A hand reaches down and squeezes his shoulder. He looks up and it is Snape. The real Snape's eyes are alive and filled with sadness.

"It is done," Snape says.

"But...but there was a part of a Horcrux inside of me," Harry explains very calmly, almost childlike.

"I transferred it to Lupin," Snape answers and then turns and walks into the dark. His words- "He was dying anyway"-echo behind him.

There is a wail that emanates from Draco as he breaks free and stumbles to his dead father. "Father! Father!" He has yet to understand that he has just become an orphan.

Harry hears a voice. It's Hermione. "They are gone, Harry. All the Horcruxes are destroyed and Voldemort is dead." He is staring at Lupin and feeling nothing. Hands come down to ease him to his feet. It is Ron and Neville. Hermione is before him, teary-eyed. Harry wonders why she is crying. A soft hand reaches for his. He turns and sees Ginny.

"You are here," he says.

"Yes, I'm here, Harry."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Hogwarts

The battle took place on the last day of July just as the Prophecy predicted. Who's to say how a prophecy should be interpreted. Was it about Harry or about Neville? And does it matter?

Hogwarts was open and Harry was standing on the platform of the astronomy tower. It felt comforting to be home, he decided. He was standing with the locket in his hand that had slipped out of Dumbledore's dead one. It was a common piece of jewelry, but it had cost him a fortune. There was a feeling of emptiness particularly in this spot where he had lost a friend and mentor. But then Harry had lost many friends. He could still feel the dead weight of Lupin's death weighing on him.

He let the gold chain slide between his fingers and fall out into the greenery below. It was like saying farewell to all of them.

"You will be late for your classes on the first day," a voice said behind him.

Harry turned to Snape. The man looked and dressed differently. He was dressed like a normal wizard teacher, but in clothes made of nice cloth. The green and silver robes of Slytherin lay over his brown velvet vest with the gold chain strung to the pocket watch. His slacks were pressed and tailored above the polished black boots.. Above all his hair was short and clean. The sallowness was gone from his face although a faint scar ran from his temple through his eye and down his cheek. It didn't seem to take away or add to his overall looks, which had never been handsome. And yet, with some kind of newfound serenity, his face had transformed. There was a warmth there and a gentleness that the old Snape had not been capable of.

"I understand that you are going to be teaching," Harry commented.

Snape nodded. He was leaning leisurely against a column of the portico leading to the platform.

"I miss him," Harry said, turning back to the rail. "Dumbledore. I miss him."

"As do I," Snape said.

"Do you?" Harry asked. Snape had joined him at the railing.

Snape looked at him curiously. "Yes, I do. He was my friend."

Harry nodded. There was so much about Snape that he didn't know. Even this small thing was a question. They had not seen each other since the night of the battle and Harry wondered what their first encounter would be like.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself from now on," Harry said, breaking the long silence. "So much of my life was spent...worrying."

Snape nodded, staring off at the distant hills. "Yes, it does take its toll." He stopped and turned to Harry. "I think the best way to proceed is to learn to be friends, don't you think? I've never been very good at that. But I am willing to try."

Harry faced him. "Hermione told me once that you had never apologized to me, never said you were sorry for the way that you treated me. She told me that maybe you didn't think you needed to. She also asked me if I could forgive you even if you never did say the words. I guess I never dreamed that there would be a time that you would want my forgiveness. Hermione said that if I chose to do that, forgive you that is...even if you never asked for it; that I needed to do it for real. Let my hurt feelings and my anger go."

Snape studied him. This time with warm eyes not filled with hate or anger. "And could you?"

Harry nodded after a moment. "Time changes things. I understand more."

Snape nodded, speaking slowly, "I asked your mother once what I needed to do. All I wanted was to have her back. She said, Just say you're sorry, Severus. And she asked me, 'Is that so much?'. And I said it; I said I was sorry, but I didn't have the wisdom that you show now. I wasn't thinking about needing her forgiveness. I've hurt many people and I have hurt you intentionally. I am sorry."

A moment went by and Harry nodded. "I've found that the women in my life can be pretty brilliant sometimes. Hermione is very special."

"So was your mother," Snape added.

"Will you tell me about her sometime?" Harry asked.

Snape remained silent.

"Does it pain you to know that you are my father?"

Snape caught his breath, startled by the question. "No." He reached for the rail for support. "No. It doesn't cause me pain. Does it cause you pain?"

Harry shook his head slowly. "James Potter will always be my father. I can't think of him any other way. But I can accept that you are my real father. I don't know what that means yet."

Snape nodded. "I understand."

They turned to the rail once again and felt the warm late summer breeze.

"I think when school is out I might ask Ginny Weasley to marry me," Harry said. "Would you come to the wedding?"

Snape nodded again. "I would be honored. Do you know what you will do after you leave Hogwarts?"

"I want to train to be an auror," Harry said. "I understand it involves all kinds of special skills. Someone who has done something of that nature for a living, might be able to teach me a lot."

Snape relaxed and took a deep breath. "Would you mind if I walk you to your classes?"

"Not at all," Harry answered. "I understand that I have your Defense Against the Dark Arts class before noon. Do you have any suggestions about reading material I can find in the library? Or maybe if you have a chance we could set aside some time outside of class. I could use some practical experience."

Hermione and Ron found them in the corridor.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, I am glad to see you are well," Snape said.

"I am happy to see you, too, Professor Snape," Hermione said brightly. "Are you feeling yourself these days. No lingering aftereffects?" They all knew what she was referring to.

"I am quite myself, thank you," Snape said. "I believe that I have had a singular experience that I might share with class later on. I understand that both of you will be in my advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts class."

Hermione nodded and Ron, looking a bit skittish, also nodded.

"Excellent." Snape bowed slightly. "If you'll excuse me I have a class to teach. I think about 7 o'clock for dinner Harry. Will that work for you?"

"That will be fine," Harry said.

Snape walked down the hall and out of nowhere Peeves came zooming over Harry, Hermione and Ron's head and targeted Snape with a spit-wad. Harry raised his wand and waved it lazily and sent the poltergeist colliding with a suit of armor. They walked past, ignoring the rattling.

"Harry, Ginny and I have a party planned for your birthday, since we missed it." Hermione was walking just ahead and talking as she walked. " We thought we might schedule it just before Fleur and Bill's wedding. That way everyone will be present..."

Ron nudged Harry, "Blimey, Harry. What's life going to be like now?"

"Normal, I hope," Harry said. "Whatever that is like."

The end.

(Natasha's note: I know that people are reading this by the number of hits and visitors I've had. Would someone let me know if they hate or liked it? It's always so hard to tell. Just stop and leave a short note in review. Sash


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